Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Football London
Football London
Sport
Josh Holland & James Quinlan

Why Yassine Bounou lined up for Morocco anthem but didn't start against Belgium in World Cup

Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou sprung a surprise on many watching his nation's World Cup clash against Belgium on Sunday afternoon.

Bounou, 31, was selected by Walid Regragui to start in goal for the African nation after keeping a clean sheet against Croatia in their opening earlier in the week. The Sevilla shot-stopper was on course to earn his 48th cap for his country in Doha, but he did not feature.

After taking part in the warm-up, as usual, Bounou then lined up with the rest of Morocco's starting line-up as they blasted their National Anthem out inside the Al Thumana Stadium. However, as referee Cesar Ramos blew his whistle to kickstart the game, the experienced goalkeeper was nowhere to be seen.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.