In the 23rd minute, with Man City leading 1-0, Erling Haaland played a through ball to Savinho, who found himself one-on-one with Bono. The Brazilian forward attempted to dribble past Bono before shooting, but the Al Hilal goalkeeper, even while on the ground, managed to block Savinho's shot.
Mundo Deportivo considered this the turning point of the match. Had Savinho scored, Man City would have extended their lead to 2-0, potentially changing the course of the game. The Barcelona-based sports newspaper even praised it as possibly the most spectacular save of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, and one of the most impressive saves of the year.
In addition to denying Savinho, Bono made 10 other saves, leading the tournament with 23 saves in 4 matches. The Moroccan goalkeeper played a crucial role in Al Hilal's 4-3 extra-time victory over Man City, securing their place in the quarterfinals.
Fotmob rated Bono 7.9, the third highest for Al Hilal, behind center-back Kalidou Koulibaly (8) and forwards Malcom (8) and Marcos Leonardo (8.9).
Koulibaly, the defensive leader, made 11 clearances, 4 tackles, and won 5 duels. The Senegalese center-back also scored a header in the first period of extra time, giving Al Hilal a 3-2 lead.
Malcom had put Al Hilal up 2-1, while Leonardo scored the other two goals, including the final goal into an empty net in the 112th minute to seal the 4-3 victory.
Having overcome Man City, Al Hilal will face Brazilian club Fluminense in the FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinals at Camping World Stadium, Orlando, at 2 a.m. on 5/7 Hanoi time.
Born in 1991, Bono has played for several Spanish clubs, including Atletico Madrid, Real Zaragoza, Girona, and Sevilla. He is among the established European stars who have joined Al Hilal, alongside center-back Kalidou Koulibaly, full-backs Joao Cancelo and Renan Lodi, midfielders Ruben Neves and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, and forward Aleksandar Mitrovic.
Bono has 74 caps for the Moroccan national team, with his peak performance at the 2022 World Cup. He kept four clean sheets, the most in the tournament, and was the first African goalkeeper to achieve three clean sheets in a single World Cup.
Bono saved two penalties in the shootout against Spain in the round of 16, helping Morocco reach the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time. Morocco then defeated Portugal to become the first African team to reach a World Cup semi-final.
Compiled by Hong Duy
