Morocco reaches the Africa Cup final against Nigeria thanks to Youssef En-Nesyri and an unorthodox but brilliant goalkeeper.
Actually, Walid Regragui said after reaching the final against Nigeria, he had to apologize. An unusual attitude for a coach who had just led his team to the Africa Cup final a few minutes earlier. Admittedly, it was on penalties, and in a somewhat fortunate manner, but nevertheless confidently. And totally results-oriented. But then came this request for forgiveness.
“I chose Hamza, so I would like to apologize to him,” Regragui said of Hamza Igamane, who missed the second penalty on Wednesday evening. The Lille OSC pro has great quality, but was not in top form due to his injury in early December. “If we had lost the penalty shootout because of that miss, it would have been my fault,” Regragui said afterwards. But things turned out differently – thanks to Bono.
The penalty shootout started positively for both sides, with the first kicker scoring for each team. Before Nigeria’s Paul Onuachu took his kick, Morocco’s keeper threw his arms up, feigned a jump to the left, then to the right, but then jumped to the left after all. A classic tactic to confuse the kicker, especially if he is still deciding or unsure during his run-up. But the ball ended up in the net, and Bono was beaten. For the time being.
Because Igamame missed the second penalty, the pressure was on the experienced keeper, who had already saved two shots from Carlos Soler and Sergio Busquets against Spain in the round of 16 in Qatar in 2022—and was now set to become the hero once again.
In the duel with Samu Chukwueze, Bono raised his left hand, but seemed to know exactly where the Nigerian striker would shoot. A few small hops, sure, but they’re almost routine. Bono dived to his right and saved a weakly struck ball. It looked as if the keeper had read the shooter and made him feel it. A mental game that requires no special confusion tactics, no self-confidence, no antics.
For the third penalty by Bruno Onyemaechi, the keeper used a tactic that some goalkeepers only use in training: going to a corner during the run-up, sidestepping, without diving. Whether it was luck or conviction: the ball came to his side, Bono just had to stretch out his arm to hold it. You could call this behavior arrogant, but in the semifinal against Nigeria, it proved to be extremely effective. And that’s why it worked so well? Regragui says: “I don’t like to single out individual players, but Bono is a key figure in our team, he is one of the best goalkeepers in the world.”
The Moroccan coach is not wrong. And yet, in hindsight, Bono would certainly have been criticized if he hadn’t dived and the ball had ended up in the middle of the goal. However, that’s two “ifs” too many for a missed final.
