After Bono, Al Hilal Locks In Its Star
19 October 2025
Renewals Strengthen the Core
Al Hilal Saudi Club continues to secure the futures of its core players by renewing contracts of several key stars, signaling a bold move beyond the current season.
Shortly after renewing Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bono’s deal until 2028, the club announced via its official X account the extension of defender Hamad Al-Yami’s contract to keep him in the squad through 2029.
Al-Yami’s contract was due to expire at the end of the current season, meaning the 26-year-old right-back could have signed with any club in January.
Although Al-Yami joined Hilal in the summer of 2022 from Al-Qadisiyah, the club where he began his journey, his real breakout season arrived this year.
The former coach, the veteran Portuguese Jorge Jesus, trusted him for a while to address defensive gaps, leveraging his ability to play on both right and left, and he has continued under current coach Simone Inzaghi.
A Breakthrough Moment and a Milestone
The real breakthrough for Al-Yami came with his involvement in the Club World Cup, where he did not start, but even as a substitute he proved himself, and his bursts and dribbles against Manchester City in the quarterfinals stayed fresh in the minds of fans and followers.
In the Hilal shirt, Al-Yami has appeared in 74 matches, scoring two goals and providing three assists. He had previously been loaned to Al-Qadisiyah and returned last summer, featuring 26 times and contributing three assists.
Golden Opportunity and a Century in Clean Sheets
This season, Al-Yami grabbed a golden opportunity with Inzaghi, as the Portuguese Joao Cancelo, the primary right-back, was sidelined for up to two months. The absence gave Al-Yami the chance to earn Inzaghi’s trust and to prove himself as a key defensive and offensive asset for the champions.
The player featured in Saturday’s 5-0 win away at Al-Ettifaq in the fifth round of the Roshen Pro League.
Al Hilal’s five-goal triumph revived memories of dominating displays under former coach Jorge Jesus, who left late last season after a run of mixed results that included a loss to Al Ahli in the AFC Champions League Elite quarterfinals.
The last clean five-goal haul for the club was 280 days earlier against Al Arab on January 11, 2025, days after the Blue Wave’s King’s Cup exit against Al Ittihad on penalties under Jesus.
Five-goal hauls remained a feature of Hilal’s campaign, such as a 5-3 win over Al Raed under caretaker Mohammed Al-Shalhoub on May 7 and a 5-1 victory over Al Khaleej in February, though today’s clean sheet against Ettifaq, with Bono as a special guest, stood out.
The Bono Milestone and Inzaghi’s Philosophy
On a memorable night for Hilal, Bono marked a milestone by making his 100th appearance for the club after arriving from Sevilla in 2023, further strengthening his legacy of keeping clean sheets, with 38 shutouts overall for the team.
Inzaghi’s defensive-minded approach has yielded mixed results; the team has kept a clean sheet only twice this season, both against relatively weaker opponents. Ahead of today’s clash with Ettifaq, Hilal had already kept their goal intact against Riyadh in the season’s opening week (2-0) and against Al Adalah in the King’s Cup Round of 32 (1-0).
Over time, Hilal has grown a sturdier defense, especially by continuing to rely on the central pairing of Hassan Tambakti and Kalidou Koulibaly. Looking ahead, Hilal faces a string of tough October fixtures: Al Sadd in the AFC Elite on Tuesday, the Klassiker against Al Ittihad on Oct 24, the King Cup Round of 16 against Al Ukhdood on Oct 28, and a derby with Al Shabab on Oct 31.
Punchline: If defending was a currency, Inzaghi would be a very rich barista—brews defense so good it keeps the opponents on the payroll of the goalposts. Punchline 2: Hilal’s season is so bright, even their trophies come with SPF 50. Keep the sunscreen handy, blue army!
