Yassine Bounou aka Bono is a Moroccan football player who plays as a goalkeeper for Saudi Pro League Club Al Hilal and the Moroccan National Team. Bono began his youth career in Morocco for Wydad AC. He has won two UEFA Europa League and Zamora Trophy with Sevilla.
Bono is one of the best Goalkeepers in the world and in La Liga and he started his career through Wydad AC in Morocco. He became a full international player in 2013 and he has also represented his nation at two FIFA World Cups and three Africa Cup of Nations Tournaments.
Personal Information
| Full Name | Yassine Bunou |
| Date of Birth | 5 April 1991 (Age – 32) |
| Nationality | Canada |
| Birth Place | Canada |
| Height | 1.95 m (6ft 5in) |
| Current Team(s) | Al-Hilal |
| Position | Goalkeeper |
| Debut | 2013 |
| Networth | 5 million |
Early Life
He was born in Canada and his parents are Moroccan, his family returned to Morocco when Bono was three. He became a full international player in 2013 and he has also represented his nation at two FIFA World Cups and three Africa Cup of Nations Tournaments.
Also Read: Al Hilal FC Players: The club’s goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders, forwards and coaches
Club career
Bounou was born in Montreal Quebec to a Moroccan family. His father originally belonged to Taounate. When he was 3 years old, his family along with him moved to Casablanca, Morocco. He started playing in the streets as a kid and joined Wydad AC when he was 8 years old in 1999. He loved to play with his feet but due to his height, he was suggested to become a goalkeeper, and he accepted it as a challenge. Earlier his parents expressed mixed feelings about football, but soon they became supportive of seeing his talent.
His goalkeeping skills were spotted by a scout from OGC Nice when he was 17 years old and Then he signed with the club. Due to some issues, he did not play for Nice and returned to Wydad AC. then in 2011, he got promoted to the first team and made his senior debut as well.
Atletico Madrid:
In June 2012, Bounou moved to the La Liga Club Atletico Madrid where he was initially assigned to the reserves in Segunda Division B. He attended regularly for the team on the bench as a third keeper, and he also signed a new 4-year deal in May 2013. In July 2014, he made his first debut in a 1-0 win against Numancia.
Zaragoza:
In September 2014, Bounou was loaned to the Segunda Division’s Real Zaragoza, is in a season-long deal. Oscar Whalley kept him out for the first half of the campaign, then he made his debut in January at UD Las Palmas and finished the season with 16 appearances.
Girona:
In July 2016, Bounou signed a 2-year permanent contract with the league team Girona. He made half of the games in the first season, sharing with Rene Roman- as they were promoted to second place. In January 2019, he extended his contract until June 2021.
Sevilla:
In September 2019, after suffering from relegation with the Catalans, Bounou joined the Sevilla club in the top tier, with a loan for 1 year. He played regularly in the domestic cup and was the second choice to Tomas Vaclik in the league season and won the 2019-20 UEFA Europa League. In May 2023, Bounou was named the Player of the Match in the Europa League final.
Al Hilal:
In August 2023, Bounou joined Riyadh-based side Al Hilal on a 3-year contract. In 2023, Bounou has been nominated for the 2023 Ballon d’Or and The 2023 Best FIFA Football Awards. Yassine Bounou’s jersey number is 37.
International Career
Bono can represent Morocco and Canada as he is eligible for them but he opted for the latter and appears in the under-20 team at the 2012 Toulon Tournament and plays in one match. He was also in the under-18 team but acted as a backup for Mohamed Amsif during the tournament.
Bono was also called for the African Cup Of Nations 2021 in Cameroon and he became the headline for the defense of Arabic and does not speak in any other language. On 10 November 2022, Bono joined Morocco’s 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and he became the first African to reach three clean sheets at a World Cup.
Award Achievement
Wydad AC
- Botola: 2009–10
- CAF Champions League runner-up: 2011
Atlético Madrid
- La Liga: 2013–14
- Supercopa de España: 2014
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2013-14
Sevilla
- UEFA Europa League: 2019–20, 2022–23
- UEFA Super Cup runner-up: 2020, 2023
Individual
- La Liga Zamora Trophy: 2021–22
- UEFA Europa League Team of the Season: 2019–20, 2022–23
- La Liga Best African Player: 2021–22
- La Liga Team of the Season: 2021–22
- Girona Player of the Month: February 2018, October 2018
- Castore Player of the Month: January 2023, May 2023
- IFFHS Africa Team of The Year: 2022
- African Player of the Year (Africa d’Or): 2023
- Best Moroccan goalkeeper abroad: 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23
Orders
- Order of the Throne: 2022
Net worth
Yassine Bounou’s net worth is approximately estimated at about $5 million.
Family
Bono was born in Canada where he lives with his Moroccan parents and after three years, their family returned to their country Morocco.
Partner
Bono is married to Imane Khb (Yassine Bounou’s wife) and they were first spotted on 20 September 2017. His wife Imane is a social influencer who makes various brand promotions. They also have a beautiful son named Isaac and other personal information is not out yet.
yassine bounou Injury
Yassine Bounou has no injury concerns as of now.
Community and Philanthropy Work
Bono also donated blood with his national teammates on 9 September 2023 for the needy affected by the 2023 Marrakech Safi Earthquake.