HIBAPRESS – Sports
Moroccan Yassine Bounou, goalkeeper for the Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal, revealed the reason behind his winning the Best African Goalkeeper award for the year 2025, which is awarded annually by the Confederation of African Football.
Bounou won the award for the second time in his career, during the ceremony held in Rabat, after surpassing his compatriot Munir El Mohamedi and South African Ronwen Williams. The role of Al-Hilal and the national team in Bounou's crowning. In his statements after receiving the award, Bounou said: "I am very happy with this valuable award, and I thank everyone for the wonderful organization of the ceremony." He explained that the secret of the crowning is due to the collective work within the Moroccan national team and Al-Hilal club, paying tribute to his colleagues who helped him maintain his level, adding: "The competition for the award was not easy, El Mohamedi and Williams also deserved to be crowned." Notable achievements in the Club World Cup. The veteran Moroccan goalkeeper continues to shine on both the local and international levels, as he was one of the most prominent stars of the 2025 Club World Cup in the United States of America. Despite winning only one title in the 2024–2025 season (Saudi Super Cup), he delivered an exceptional individual performance and contributed to the best Arab and Asian achievement in the history of the Club World Cup after the new system, leading Al-Hilal to the quarter-finals. He also played a crucial role in the historic victory over Manchester City with a score of (4-3), making Al-Hilal the first Arab and Asian club to defeat a European team in the tournament, which made Bounou the focus of the world's attention thanks to his continuous brilliance.
