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Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, widely known as Bono, added another penalty save to his World Cup record even as France beat Morocco 2-0 on Thursday to reach the semifinals and bring the North African side's 2026 run to an end.
Bounou denied Kylian Mbappe from the spot in the 25th minute, diving low to his right after a lengthy video review had led to a France penalty.
According to Opta, Bounou has faced nine penalties at the World Cup, including shoot-outs, and has conceded only twice. He has saved four of those attempts, while three others missed the target.
Opta added that Bounou has now matched the tournament record for most penalties saved by a goalkeeper since 1966, including shoot-outs. The statistics outlet described the record in one word: "Intimidating."
The save against Mbappe also carried a separate place in Moroccan football history.
According to Squadra, Bounou became the first Moroccan goalkeeper to save a penalty during open World Cup play, excluding penalty shoot-outs.
France controlled much of the first half and nearly went ahead in the fourth minute when Mbappe sent a shot just wide of the left post. Morocco, meanwhile, struggled to build up attacking pressure and did not register a shot until first-half stoppage time.
The breakthrough came in the 60th minute, when Mbappe powered a finish past Bounou to make it 1-0. It was his eighth goal of the tournament, his 12th in World Cup knockout matches and his 20th overall at the competition.
Six minutes later, France doubled the lead. Mbappe flicked a pass into the path of Ousmane Dembele, who pushed through Morocco's defense and finished for 2-0.
Morocco pushed late but could not find a way back into the match. France, which had also beaten Morocco 2-0 in the 2022 World Cup semifinals in Qatar, became the first team to reach the 2026 semifinals.
Issa Diop was booked shortly after France's opening goal for a tackle on Mbappe. The France forward was later taken off in the 77th minute with a slight limp and sat on the bench with ice on his right ankle.
France will face either Spain or Belgium in Tuesday's semifinal.
Bounou was born in Montreal, Canada, on April 5, 1991, and represents Morocco at international level. He began his career in Wydad Casablanca's youth setup before moving to Spain in 2012, where he played for Atletico Madrid B, Real Zaragoza, Girona and Sevilla.
The 35-year-old goalkeeper currently plays for Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal, which he joined from Sevilla on Aug. 17, 2023. His contract runs until June 30, 2028.
According to Transfermarkt data cited in the source text, Bounou's market value is listed at €3 million, while Al-Hilal paid Sevilla a net transfer fee of €21 million in 2023.
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