African football more volatile than European, talent not enough – Sevilla goalkeeper Bono

The Sevilla shot-stopper was earlier this month voted the inaugural winner of the La Liga Santander Mid-Season African MVP Award, beating out competition from fellow Moroccan Youssef En-Nesyri and Nigeria international Samuel Chukwueze. 

He is also on course to win the La Liga Zamora award, given to the best goalkeeper (by goal-to-game ratio) in the Spanish top-flight. So far this season, “Bono” – as he is more widely known – has kept 11 clean sheets and has conceded only 0.8 goals per game. This is the best ratio in the division, ahead of the likes of Thibaut Courtois and Jan Oblak.

Amidst all of this personal success, however, the 30-year-old faced crushing disappointment with Morocco at last month’s Africa Cup of Nations. The Atlas Lions were eliminated in extra time in their quarter-final meeting with Egypt, extending their wait for a second continental title to (at least) 47 years.

Reflecting on the contrast between African and European football, Bono said, “Well, it’s very different. Because the way you play in Africa is not at all predictable. So you have to be very concentrated.

“You can come up against teams who don’t put on a lot of pressure, and then they start to put on the pressure very quickly. Set pieces are also very important.”

Indeed, it was on a set piece that Egypt drew level against Morocco, before going ahead to win it in extra time.

“In European leagues you know, more or less, what you can expect when you’re playing a specific team,” Bono observed. 

“Their tactics are organised, you know their style, you’ve looked up what the teams are about. So you just really need to be prepared and have the talent to be able to play a match well. 

“In Africa, however talented you are, if you are not concentrating 100 per cent, maybe at that moment you can’t give your best performance. I think that is the difference.”

Sevilla are currently embroiled in a battle for primacy in La Liga. Los Nervionenses trail league leaders Real Madrid by four points, but have failed to make up ground on a faltering Los Blancos in recent weeks. This has sparked suggestions that Julen Lopetegui’s side may be unable to make the critical step needed to win the title. Unsurprisingly, Bono disagreed.

“In previous seasons, we have already got good experience, and we know what we can do,” he insisted. 

“We know we can improve, and the team is never going to tire. The opposite in fact; we are really excited, and will be fighting right to the end to try and win the league.”