Sevilla goalkeeper Bono makes himself the unlikely hero with remarkable last-minute equalizer
Sevilla grabbed a dramatic last-second equalizer in Saturday’s La Liga clash against Valladolid — and the goal came from the unlikeliest of sources.
Losing 1-0 and desperate to try and salvage at least a point from the match, Sevilla goalkeeper Yassine ‘Bono’ Bounou ran the length of the pitch to join the attack for his team’s final corner of the game.
After a mix up in the Valladolid defense, the ball found its way to Bono eight yards from goal and the Moroccan keeper showed poise and composure befitting of a striker to slot the ball into the net.
Cue wild scenes as Bono was mobbed by his team and the entire Sevilla bench.
“It’s a difficult feeling to describe because I didn’t know how to celebrate it,” he told the club’s website. “It’s very strange, but, well, my teammates are happy because we deserved more.
“Two years ago, I came close to scoring here with Girona and that memory came back to me, so I could go up with the manager’s permission. The goal fell to me and I am very thankful.”
According to Sevilla, it was only the second time in La Liga history that a goalkeeper had scored from open play, with the first being Deportivo’s Daniel Aranzubia against AlmerÃa back in 2011.
In total, Bono is just the eighth goalkeeper ever to score in La Liga, with a total of 19 goals being scored by stoppers in the league’s history.
This current season also marks the first in which two different goalkeepers have scored, with Eibar’s Marko Dmitrovic netting against league leader Atletico Madrid from the penalty spot back in January.