Biography
Who is Yassine Bounou?
Early life and background
Yassine Bounou was born in Montreal, Canada, on April 5, 1991, to Moroccan parents. His father worked as an engineer and a former professor at the Hassania School of Public Works. When he was three years old, his family returned to Morocco and settled in Casablanca. Growing up, he began playing football as a child and joined the youth ranks of Wydad AC at the age of eight in 1999.
Initially, he preferred playing using his feet, but his height led coaches to suggest that he transition to the position of a goalkeeper. He accepted this challenge and looked up to Edwin van der Sar as his childhood idol. At seventeen years old, his skills caught the attention of a scout from OGC Nice, leading to a signed contract, though bureaucratic issues prevented him from playing for the club and he returned to Wydad AC.
Club career in Morocco and Spain
Yassine Bounou made his senior debut with Wydad AC in 2011 after being promoted to the first team. He started his first match for the senior squad in the final of the CAF Champions League against Espérance de Tunis in front of eighty thousand supporters. Following his time in Morocco, he moved to Spain in 2012 to join Atlético Madrid, where he initially played for the reserve team in the Segunda División B and served as a third-choice goalkeeper for the main squad.
He later spent time on loan at Real Zaragoza before signing a permanent contract with Girona in 2016. In 2019, he joined Sevilla on loan, where he played a crucial role in winning the 2019-20 UEFA Europa League. He later signed a permanent four-year contract with Sevilla and won the Zamora Trophy for the 2021-22 season. During his time with Sevilla, he also scored his first professional goal as a goalkeeper during a match against Real Valladolid to secure a draw.
Recent career and international success
In August 2023, Yassine Bounou moved to Saudi Arabia to join the Riyadh-based club Al-Hilal on a three-year contract. That same year, he received multiple accolades, including ranking thirteenth in the Ballon d'Or and third for the Yashin Trophy, and winning the best goalkeeper in Africa trophy at the CAF awards.
At the international level, he chose to represent Morocco after being eligible to play for Canada. He participated in the 2012 Toulon Tournament and the 2012 Summer Olympics with the under-23 squad. He made his senior debut for the national team in August 2013 during a friendly match against Burkina Faso. He has since represented his nation at multiple Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and three FIFA World Cups, famously helping Morocco reach the semi-finals at the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
Birthday and age
Yassine Bounou was born on April 5, 1991, which makes Yassine 35 years old today. That birthday falls under the Aries sign. Yassine shares the date with 30 other famous people.
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