Morocco eliminated the Netherlands 3-2 in the penalty shootout, after drawing 1-1 in the 120 minutes, and advanced to the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup thanks to a new decisive performance by Yassine Bounou, known worldwide as Bono.
The match, played at the Monterrey Stadium, had the Dutch advantage with a goal from Cody Gakpo in the 71st minute, but Morocco reacted in added time and equalized through Issa Diop at 90+1, sending the tie to extra time.
During the meeting, Bart Verbruggen was one of the figures from the Netherlands. The Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper responded with important saves from shots by Achraf Hakimi and Soufiane Rahimi, keeping his team alive in several passages of the match.
However, history changed the definition from the eleven steps. In Rahimi’s charge, Verbruggen managed to touch the ball, but was unable to prevent it from ending up inside his goal. The action marked the beginning of a round that would end up favoring Morocco.
On the other side appeared Bono, 35 years old. The Al-Hilal goalkeeper once again demonstrated why he is considered one of the best penalty specialists in the world. In the fifth Dutch charge, executed by Crysencio Summerville, he remained firm, extended his arm and deflected the shot without having to jump, keeping his team alive.
The final penalty came moments later, when Ismael Saibari converted the shot that sealed the Moroccan victory 3-2 and sparked the celebration of the Atlas Lions.
The round was marked by errors from both teams. Netherlands converted through Teun Koopmeiners and Wout Weghorst, but missed with Justin Kluivert, Quinten Timber and Summerville. Morocco scored with Soufiane Rahimi, Chemsdine Talbi and Ismael Saibari, while Neil El Aynaoui and Achraf Hakimi wasted their charges.
With this victory, Morocco advanced to the round of 16, where it will face Canada, and once again eliminated a European team in a direct elimination phase, as it had already achieved during its historic campaign in Qatar 2022.
Yassine Bounou, better known as Bono, was born on April 5, 1991 in Montreal, Canada, to Moroccan parents. He moved to Morocco at an early age, where he began his training at Wydad Casablanca. His career in Europe took off in Spain with Girona and reached its highest point at Sevilla, where he won the UEFA Europa League and established himself as one of the most reliable goalkeepers on the continent. He currently plays for Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia.
Bono has built a legendary reputation in penalty shootouts. In Qatar 2022 he was Morocco’s hero by stopping two shots against Spain in the round of 16, a performance that propelled the Atlas Lions to the semifinals, the best participation by an African team in the history of the World Cup. Four years later, he responded again at the moment of greatest pressure and reaffirmed his status as a reference in Moroccan football and one of the great specialists in definitions from the eleven steps.