Morocco goalkeeper Bono leads the way for Qatar 2022
Morocco are preparing for their sixth World Cup appearance with all their goalkeeping doubts resolved. It is a delicate position where the first-choice keeper usually plays in all the group matches except the third, if qualification has been assured in the first two.
In the case of Morocco, Walid Regragui has confidence in three goalkeepers: Yassine Bounou (Sevilla), Munir El Kajoui (Al-Wehda) and Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti (Wydad AC). Of the three, the Sevilla goalkeeper is the one who has the full confidence of the entire country to defend the goal against Croatia and Belgium and, if necessary, against Canada in a match that could become as decisive as it is inconsequential depending on the first two.
Bono has made 44 appearances for Morocco. At Sevilla he faces stiff competition from Marko Dmitrović, but under both Lopetegui and now Jorge Sampaoli, the 1.92m tall Canadian-born Moroccan is likely to remain in the starting line-up.
He has enjoyed a stratospheric rise in Spain since his arrival at Zaragoza in 2015, from where he moved to Atlético de Madrid B before Girona bought him and sold him two seasons and a promotion to Sevilla.
His numbers in international competitions make the Moroccan goalkeeper a sure thing. He won the Europa League in 2020 and has 29 appearances to his name in the Champions League, where Sevilla are regulars, even if they don't reach the final rounds.
Munir Mohand Mohamedi El Kajoui is the other goalkeeper to whom Regragui entrusts the Morocco goal. He was born in Melilla 33 years ago and had spells with Numancia and Malaga, but chose to move to Turkish football (Hatayspor) and currently plays for Al-Wehda FC in Saudi Arabia.
Munir began his presence with the Atlas Lions in 2015 and has since made 43 appearances, including nine in his national team's qualification for Qatar 2022.
Munir has earned a starting berth at Al-Wehda where he shares a dressing room with Spain's Alberto Botía, formerly of Sevilla and Sporting. The club are bottom of the table, three points above the relegation zone.
The third goalkeeper to travel to Qatar 2022 is Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti, from Wydad in the Moroccan league. The 26-year-old has been called up to the Morocco squad since 2017, but has hardly played any minutes. Half a half against South Korea in 2017, another half against Uzbekistan in 2018 and the same time in 2019 against Gambia and always in friendlies.
With these three goalkeepers, Morocco's presence at Qatar 2022 is assured. Two experienced goalkeepers, Bono and Munir, and a regular, albeit inexperienced, Tagnaouti.