Morocco – Canada, a special match for Yassine Bono

04.07.26 FT World Cup

Canada

0

:

Morocco

3

Morocco knocked out the Netherlands on penalties (1-1, 3-2 on pens) late Monday night into Tuesday in the round of 32 of the World Cup.

Starting between the posts, Yassine Bono played a key role in his team's qualification with a series of crucial saves. He now sets his sights on a showdown with Canada next Saturday at 5pm GMT in the round of 16.

World Cup 2026: The official and complete group stage schedule

This matchup will be particularly special for the Al-Hilal FC goalkeeper. The 37-year-old shot-stopper was born in Montreal and also holds Canadian citizenship. In fact, Bono could have been lining up on the opposite side had he chosen to represent the Canucks.

Born in the Côte-Des-Neiges neighborhood, the former Sevilla FC keeper left Quebec with his Moroccan parents at the age of two to settle in Casablanca. It was in this Moroccan city that he learned the basics of football at the Wydad Casablanca academy, where he played from 2010 to 2012 before heading to Spain.

By making his tenth World Cup appearance, Yassine Bounou has become the most-capped African goalkeeper in the tournament's history, surpassing Ghana’s Richard Kingston (9 appearances).

Imed Ben Amara |

Editorar, fr

Imed Ben Amara - bilingual sports writer and web editor with experience in football content creation. Since 2021, he has contributed to Foot Africa, providing news coverage and analysis.

Related teams and leagues

Canada

Morocco

World Cup