Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou suffers injury ahead of AFCON 2027 qualifiers

Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou was ruled out of Al-Hilal’s Saudi Pro League match against Neom after suffering an injury during the pre-match warm-up.

The 34-year-old was initially expected to start Monday’s sixth-round Roshan Saudi Pro League fixture but was forced to withdraw from the line-up shortly before kick-off.

Al-Hilal confirmed that Bounou, widely known as Bono, felt pain in his hamstring during the warm-up, although the extent of the injury and the expected length of his absence have not yet been revealed.

Al-Owais replaces injured Bono

Al-Hilal head coach Simone Inzaghi was forced into a late change, bringing Mohammed Al-Owais into the starting line-up to replace the Moroccan international.

Mohammed Al-Rubaie was subsequently named among the substitutes to provide cover for Al-Owais.

The late withdrawal came as a surprise for Al-Hilal, with Bounou having been selected to continue as the club’s first-choice goalkeeper following their strong start to the Saudi Pro League season.

Concern for Morocco and Al-Hilal

The injury will be a concern for both Al-Hilal and Morocco, given Bounou’s importance to club and country.

The experienced goalkeeper has been one of Africa’s most recognisable players in recent years and remains a key figure for the Atlas Lions.

Al-Hilal will now await further medical assessments to determine the severity of the hamstring problem.

Experienced deputy steps in

Al-Owais, who has previous experience with both Al-Hilal and the Saudi Arabian national team, was handed the responsibility of replacing Bounou against Neom.

The goalkeeper has already featured for the Saudi giants this season and will provide experienced cover while the club monitors Bounou’s condition.

Further updates on the Moroccan goalkeeper’s injury are expected after medical examinations.