Yassine Bounou’s brilliant performance in the match against Spain on Tuesday (6) ensured Morocco’s qualification for the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Qatar.

The goalkeeper not only made good saves in regulation time, but also took three penalties and didn’t let the Spaniards score on penalties.

However, what many people don’t know is that Bounou was born in Canada and his childhood favorite team was River Plate.

Morocco is waiting for the match between Portugal and Switzerland, which will take place this Tuesday at 4 p.m. (Brasília time), to find out who will face them in the quarter-finals of the Cup.

Although he was born in Montreal, Canada, Bounou moved to Morocco when he was eight years old.

He started out in the youth system at Wydad Casablanca, reaching the professional ranks in 2010. After playing just eight games in two years, he transferred to Atlético de Madrid B in 2012 and has been in Spanish football ever since.

In the B team of the Madrid team, he remained until 2016, but was loaned to Zaragoza between 2014 and 2016. After that, he started defending Girona Futbal Club, a Catalan team.

In 2019, the goalkeeper was loaned to Sevilla and was hired the following year. Bounou continues to defend the Rojiblanca side which makes him know the players of the Spanish national team very well.

Carlos Soler and Sergio Busquets, who saw their shots on goal stopped by the Moroccan goalkeeper on Tuesday afternoon, are his old acquaintances in the Spanish Championship. Soler, recently transferred to PSG, has defended Valencia and Busquets wears the shirt of Barcelona.

In March 2021, he rocked the net in the 1-1 draw against Real Valladolid, already in stoppage time in the second half. Bounou took advantage of a confusion in the opposing area, and kicked it into the back of the net in the game valid for the Spanish Championship.

He received a yellow card shortly after scoring for taking his shirt off in celebration.

The goalkeeper said in an interview with Argentinian broadcaster ‘TyC Sports’ that he is a River Plate fan and named his dog Ariel after former midfielder Ariel Ortega, a great club idol.

“My dog’s name is Ariel. I loved Ortega. These types of football players are dying out. He was one of my favorite players and I named the dog,” he said to the vehicle.

In the group stage game against Belgium, the goalkeeper played in an unusual situation. Bounou came with his team, stood in profile and sang the Moroccan national anthem, but was substituted before the game even started.

After the situation took a lot of toll, the national team coach said the goalkeeper felt he was not in top physical shape after the warm-up and asked not to play.

“He took a hit against Croatia, he was unstable. We tried until the last moment, but after the warm-up and just before the game he didn’t feel well and had the honesty to give up his place to someone else. If a player wants to be in my team, you have to be 100%. He understood that and left his place to Munir, who had a great game,” said Regragui.