Bono on the Brink of a Historic AFCON Clean Sheet Record as Morocco Reach the Final
15 January 2026
Morocco's Bono closes in on a historic clean-sheet record
Yassine Bono, Morocco's goalkeeper, stands a step away from a historic milestone once held by Essam El-Hadary, the Egyptian legend, following another standout showing at AFCON 2025.
Bono again kept a zero on the scoreboard as he helped the Atlas Lions reach the final by saving two penalties in the shootout against Nigeria, sending Morocco to a precious final against Senegal.
The semifinal finished goalless after 90 minutes and extra time, but Morocco sealed their spot with composure and resolve.
Bono earned the man-of-the-match honor for his performances, a reward that tasted sweet with the crowd's roar still echoing.
Bono's record and the final against Mendy
According to Stats Foot, Bono has five clean sheets in this tournament, the most by any goalkeeper so far, with Senegal’s Edward Mendy close behind on four.
Across AFCON 2025, he has kept clean sheets against Namibia, Zambia, Tanzania, Cameroon, and Nigeria, while conceding a single goal from a Mali penalty in the quarterfinals.
The Moroccan giant's streak places him at the forefront of the edition, as he eyes the all-time AFCON mark ahead of the final.
Historically, Bono sits behind only Essam El-Hadary in AFCON clean sheets, with the veteran Egyptian still leading the way, while Bono hopes to shrink that gap in the title game.
Behind him on the list are Vincent Enyeama (Nigeria), Allan Joamingue (Ivory Coast), and Edward Mendy (Senegal), each credited with ten AFCON clean sheets, illustrating the high bar Bono is chasing.
Before this edition, Bono had kept clean sheets against Namibia and Ivory Coast in 2019, Ghana and Comoros in 2021, and Tanzania and Zambia in the previous edition, underscoring his best-ever form in 2025.
As the final looms, Bono's remarkable run suggests a possible coronation for him or a historic stand for Mendy, making the matchup not just a final, but a ledger-clearing moment in AFCON history.
And if the net could smile, it would be grinning from ear to ear—because in this edition, the only thing that seems to pass is the speed of the applause.
Punchline time: If clean sheets were dating profiles, Bono's would read, “No goals allowed, response time: instant.” Another one: Morocco's defense is so tight that even the ball pretends to be offside just to avoid confrontation.
