Morocco pins its hopes on its goalkeeper "the Octopus" Yassine Bounou, since his contribution to the remarkable run in 2022 that saw Morocco become the first Arab and African country to reach the World Cup semifinals, as they face France again on Thursday, but this time in the quarter-finals in Boston.

Back then, Bounou became famous for his remark in a press conference after reaching the semifinals, when he addressed his then-coach Walid Regragui, spontaneously expressing that the team entered the tournament to enjoy without pressure, only to find themselves suddenly making history.

Less than four years later, the fan favorite still clings to his humor, calm, and focus, and remains one of the core pillars of a team dreaming of going further.

After reaching the quarter-finals, he said: 'We take each game one at a time, and in every one we correct our mistakes and avoid repeating them, hoping to continue our journey.'

And if the Atlas Lions have reached the quarter-finals for the second consecutive time, another unprecedented Arab and continental achievement, the credit largely goes to the former Sevilla and current Al Hilal goalkeeper, from the start of the tournament against Brazil (1-1), through the Netherlands (penalties) in the round of 32, to Canada in the round of 16.

Praise for the 35-year-old veteran came quickly, including from his teammate, Manchester United defender Noussair Mazraoui, who said: 'Bounou kept us in the game with his amazing saves.'

He kept a clean sheet for the second time in the current edition and the fifth time in two consecutive editions, becoming the first Arab and African goalkeeper to do so in five matches across two consecutive World Cups.

Clean sheets are nothing new for Bounou (95 international caps); he has achieved them this season with his club in 14 matches, and they were also his hallmark in five of the seven matches he played in the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

A goalkeeper who makes the difference

Egyptian and Arab goalkeeping legend Essam El-Hadary described him as the best Arab goalkeeper in history, saying in a television statement: 'I tip my hat to Yassine Bounou; he is a world-class and great goalkeeper, and he must get the recognition he deserves.'

He added: 'He is not just half the team, but represents 85% of it, with all due respect to all players. He is a goalkeeper who makes the difference and deserves all the praise.'

He continued: 'I used to always say that I am the greatest goalkeeper in the Arab world, but now I say it clearly: No, Bounou is the best Arab goalkeeper in history.'

Meanwhile, Mohamed Al-Deayea, the former Al Hilal goalkeeper whose colors Bounou now defends, said: 'I see him as the first star of the Moroccan national team. He was playing alone during the first 20 minutes against Canada.'

The former Saudi international added: 'Without him, Morocco would have lost. He saved them in the toughest moments of the match. I see him as the best goalkeeper in the world currently.'

King of penalty kicks and shootouts

Bounou, known for his footwork, needed time to make his mark with the national team. He was called up to the senior team in 2012 after representing all youth categories, but he played his first international match in 2014, and waited until 2019 to become number one.

He started his career with Wydad at age 20 at the Olympic Stadium in Menzah, when he compensated for the absence of injured Nadir Lamyaghri in the second leg of the CAF Champions League final against Tunisian side Espérance, who won the title (0-0 at home, 1-0 away).

He joined Spanish club Atlético Madrid as a third-choice goalkeeper in 2012, and won with them in the crazy season (2014) the league title and the Champions League runner-up spot against arch-rivals Real Madrid (1-4).

After a loan to Zaragoza (2014-2016) and a move to Girona (2016-2019), Sevilla signed him on loan for the 2019-2020 season, but he exploded onto the scene in the summer of 2020, gradually taking the starting spot from injured Czech goalkeeper Tomáš Vaclík.

European football discovered his name during Sevilla's amazing run in the Europa League. He stood out with a brilliant performance in the quarter-finals against English side Wolverhampton (saving a penalty) and especially in the semi-final against Manchester United, where his fantastic saves allowed his club to reach the final and then win the title (2020).

He contributed to his last title (2023) by shining in the penalty shootout against Italian side Roma in the final, saving spot-kicks from Gianluca Mancini and Brazilian Roger Ibañez.

The goalkeeper who was a shadow substitute during the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2018 World Cup became a key element in Morocco's achievement in Qatar, especially his brilliance in the penalty shootout against Spain in the round of 16, saving penalties from Carlos Soler and Sergio Busquets.

He was chosen as the best goalkeeper in La Liga for the 2022 season, surpassing Belgian star Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid) and Slovenian Jan Oblak (Atlético Madrid), who had won eight of the last nine Zamora trophies (five for the Slovenian, three for the Belgian).

He ended his 2022 campaign with clean sheets in three matches, a record for an African goalkeeper, and it was his gateway to Al Hilal in the summer of 2023. He stood out prominently with them in last summer's Club World Cup when he reached the quarter-finals by saving a penalty against Real Madrid and contributing to the 4-3 win over Manchester City, in addition to league titles (2024) and King's Cup titles (2024 and 2026).