En-Nesyri explains why he refused to celebrate against brotherly rival Bono

Youssef En-Nesyri chose not to celebrate after scoring for Al-Ittihad against Al-Hilal because he considers goalkeeper Yassine Bounou to be his older brother.

Al-Hilal beat Al-Ittihad 3-2 in the Roshn Saudi League clasico at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on Saturday, with En-Nesyri scoring the visitors’ equaliser in the 22nd minute.

The Moroccan striker ran through on goal before powering his finish past his international team-mate, who was unable to keep the ball out. Rather than celebrate, En-Nesyri went straight to Bounou and embraced him in a gesture of consolation.

Speaking to the Nadeena programme on MBC 1 during a friendly interview with Bounou, En-Nesyri explained the decision.

“Bono is my older brother and I love him very much,” he said. “We played together for many years with the Morocco national team and at Sevilla.”

The moment between the two players was one of the most notable scenes from the match, with En-Nesyri making clear that celebrating against Bounou would have been difficult because of their close relationship.

Bounou responded affectionately after the interview by kissing En-Nesyri on the head and praising the performance of his former team-mate.

“Youssef En-Nesyri is like my younger brother,” said the Al-Hilal goalkeeper. “He played a great match and I congratulate him.”

En-Nesyri and Bounou spent several years together at Sevilla before their careers took them to Saudi Arabia. Bounou joined Al-Hilal in the summer of 2023, while En-Nesyri moved to Al-Ittihad in January, arriving from Fenerbahce.

The result gave Al-Hilal victory in the eighth round of the Roshn Saudi League, despite En-Nesyri’s goal restoring parity for Al-Ittihad before the hosts secured a 3-2 win.