Bono reveals how he became a penalty nightmare

Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bono, who plays for Al Hilal, said he spent long periods struggling against penalties before making clear progress in recent years. He said criticism was the main reason he paid closer attention to that part of his game.

Bono said in comments to the French magazine Onze Mondial that he had worked intensively on the issue with his teammates and gave it special attention because penalties can decide big matches. He added that focus is the key factor when a penalty is taken.

What Bono said about penalties

“I went through long periods when I could not save penalties, and during that stage questions grew about my ability in this area, which made me focus more on improving myself,” the Moroccan goalkeeper said.

He also said: “We started working intensively on this aspect with my teammates, and I began giving it special attention, because penalties can make the difference in big matches.”

Bono said the goalkeeper has very little room to work with against the quality of the player taking the kick. “Penalties need full concentration, especially from the player taking the shot, because if he has quality and is fully focused, the goalkeeper’s task becomes very difficult,” he said.

Focus, instinct and luck

The Al Hilal keeper said only a small margin can be used by goalkeepers, which is why they try to work on the small details that may give them an edge. He said reading a player’s penalty is not based on study alone.

“For us as goalkeepers, there is only a small percentage that can be exploited, so we always try to work on the small details that may give us the advantage,” he said.

He concluded by saying instinct and luck are also part of predicting a player’s shot. “I always believe there is a part related to instinct when anticipating a player’s shot, but in the end luck is also present in such moments,” Bono said.