It is no surprise that the FIFA World Cup is the ultimate tournament that every football player yearns for. Each player puts every ounce of their sweat and blood to get their hands on it. That is what Yassine Bono did for his country. The Moroccan goalkeeper is why one of the G.O.A.Ts(greatest of all time), Cristiano Ronaldo, was knocked out of the World Cup in the 2022 quarter-finals.
This moment was a tragedy for Ronaldo and he probably wants to forget all about Yassine and the world cup. Unfortunately, that will not be happening as the Moroccan has joined forces with the Saudi club, Al Hilal. Though the two have not faced each other in the Saudi Pro League yet, we will surely see them locking horns soon enough.
Yassine Bono joins Al-Hilal
Since Cristiano Ronaldo moved to Saudi to join Al Nassr in January 2023 many other players have started to follow in his footsteps. Ronaldo’s transfer created a chain reaction and Yassine is a part of that. The player who is considered to be one of the most underrated goalkeepers has certainly made a name for himself after his astonishing performance at the 2022 World Cup. After delivering what some may call a performance of a lifetime Yassine caught the eye of Al Hilal who made him an offer in the summer transfer window this season.
Official, confirmed. Yassine Bono joins Al Hilal on €21m deal from Sevilla 🔵🇸🇦 pic.twitter.com/ZhR6kJxRGi
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 17, 2023
Yassine has reportedly been offered 21 million euros to move from his former club Sevilla to Al Hilal for a 3-year contract. Though the 32-year-old could have had a chance to join Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich, he decided to take his talents elsewhere. Al Hilal has recently signed former Real Madrid star and 2022 Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema and the Brazilian legend, Neymar Junior. Yassine’s addition to the team looks good for the club and it seems like they only plan on getting stronger and better over time.
Bono’s heroics in WC QF ensured Portugal’s exit
Yassine Bono has been a part of the Moroccan international football team since 2013. Sadly, he was not always the team’s first choice. Yassine was left out of the pitch in the Africa Cup of Nations in 2017 as well as the 2018 World Cup. He has proved himself to be an asset to his country in the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Bono has shown amazing goalkeeping skills in Qatar, he also went on to become the first African goalkeeper to keep three clean sheets in a single World Cup.
Morocco was dependent on Bono when they tied the 2022 World Cup round of 16 match against Spain and moved to Penalties. This would be the most stressful time for a goalkeeper but Yassine kept his calm and led his team to victory with a final score of 3-0. Morocco went on to face Portugal in the quarter-finals where they faced the goliath Cristiano Ronaldo. Though Yassine was delivering an amazing performance throughout the World Cup, people still had their doubts if he will be able to hold on against CR7. Not only did he keep Portugal at bay but Yassine also went on to become the player of the match.
After having a magnificent world cup performance and a great career in Europe Yassine has decided to make a move to Saudi Arabia. Fans will see him play in the Saudi Pro League where he will fight alongside Benzema and Neymar. It will be exciting to see what happens when Yassine Bono and Cristiano Ronaldo face each other once again. Everyone has high expectations from the Moroccan and he will surely prove to be a worthy addition to the team.
