Morocco All-Time Appearances: Bounou surpasses Ahmed Faras against Canada

04.07.26 FT World Cup

Canada

0

:

Morocco

3

Yassine Bounou broke Morocco's all-time cap records after starting Saturday's tense World Cup Round of 16 showdown against Canada in North America.

Head coach Mohamed Wahbi officially named the veteran Al Hilal goalkeeper in his starting lineup for the high stakes knockout fixture. By stepping onto the pitch, Bounou secured his 95 international cap for the Atlas Lions anchoring the defense once again on the world's grandest stage.

His inclusion in the squad confirms his status as an unbreakable pillar for his country.

Overtaking a legend

This appearance breaks a long standing tie with Moroccan footballing icon Ahmed Faras who accumulated 94 caps during his legendary career. Bounou now stands completely alone in third place on the nation's all time appearance list.

Legendary defender Noureddine Naybet still leads the charts with 115 international matches while elite full back Achraf Hakimi occupies second place hitting his own remarkable 101st cap during this exact same fixture against the North Americans.

The emotional heartbeat

Bounou remains an indispensable pillar of this golden generation. His elite shot stopping and calm demeanor proved vital during the historic run to the World Cup 2022 semi finals in Qatar and he has carried that exact same imperious form into the 2026 tournament to keep his side dreaming of global glory.

The elite goalkeeping pantheon

Reaching 95 caps as a goalkeeper puts Bounou in an extraordinarily rare bracket in African football history. He is rapidly closing in on the legendary figures of continental goalkeeping drawing immediate comparisons to Egypt's iconic Essam El Hadary who amassed over 150 caps and dominated global headlines by playing in a World Cup at age 45.

Khaled Hegazy |

Editorar, en

Journaliste sportif spécialisé dans la couverture du football et la création de contenu numérique, alliant expérience éditoriale et expertise des médias sociaux.

Related teams and leagues

Canada

Morocco

World Cup