Bounou caught between Shobeir's praise and El-Hadary's jabs!

Yassine Bounou, the undisputed number one for Morocco, once again showcased his immense talent by playing a pivotal role in Al-Hilal’s historic victory over Manchester City (4-3) in the Round of 16 at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.

According to the Spanish daily Marca, Bounou delivered a breathtaking performance, stopping ten dangerous shots—including seven from inside the box. This top-tier display firmly cements his reputation among the world’s elite goalkeepers.

Shobeir heaps praise on Bounou, El-Hadary stirs up controversy

This outstanding display did not go unnoticed amid heated debate. Former Egyptian goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary sparked outrage by sharing a post on his social media, echoing a fan’s claim: "Those who think Bounou is the best African goalkeeper in history have never seen El-Hadary!"


On the other hand, former Al Ahly and Egypt shot-stopper Ahmed Shobeir enthusiastically lauded the Moroccan keeper on Al-Ahly TV: "What Bounou did against City is something never seen before in goalkeeper history. His saves were unbelievable."

He further stressed that the keeper was the decisive factor in Al-Hilal’s qualification for the quarterfinals, concluding: “I want to pay a heartfelt tribute to Yassine Bounou. I haven’t analyzed goalkeeping displays for a long time, but what he did against Manchester City was historic.”

Mohamed Rek |

Editorfr, ar, en

Mohamed Rek- sports content writer with over 10 years of experience creating football content in Arabic and French for platforms such as Foot Africa and Starafrica, combining accuracy, creativity, and audience engagement.