Bounou v Mendy: Africa’s goalkeeping giants face off in AFCON 2025 final

Before a ball is kicked in Rabat on Sunday night, the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 final already has a defining subplot.

At either end of the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium stand two of Africa’s finest goalkeepers — Yassine Bounou of Morocco and Édouard Mendy of Senegal — whose performances could decide where the trophy goes.

Both men arrive with impeccable credentials, both are leaders for their countries, and both have been among the tournament’s standout performers.

With margins traditionally razor-thin in AFCON finals, this could be a contest settled not by goals, but by gloves.

Yassine Bounou: Home hero riding historic momentum

For Morocco, Yassine Bounou has been nothing short of transformative.

The 34-year-old has kept five clean sheets in six matches, conceding only once — a penalty against Mali — and delivered the defining performance of the semi-finals by saving two spot-kicks to eliminate Nigeria.

Bounou’s reputation for excelling on the biggest stages is well established.

He was instrumental in Morocco’s historic run to the semi-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, famously denying Spain in a penalty shootout, and has since carried that authority into continental football.

At club level, his pedigree spans Atlético Madrid, Girona and Sevilla, where he won the UEFA Europa League twice, as well as the Zamora Trophy in La Liga.

A former CAF Champions League winner with Wydad Casablanca, Bounou has also been named African Goalkeeper of the Year in 2023 and 2025.

With 89 international caps and the weight of a nation behind him, he enters the final as Morocco’s emotional and tactical pillar.

Édouard Mendy: Senegal’s proven champion

If Bounou embodies momentum, Édouard Mendy brings memory — and medals.

The Senegal goalkeeper already knows what it takes to win AFCON, having played a decisive role in the 2021 final victory over Egypt, where he was named Goalkeeper of the Tournament.

Now 33, Mendy is appearing in his third AFCON final, a rare achievement that places him among Senegal’s modern greats.

In Morocco, he has recorded four clean sheets, conceding just two goals, and once again provided calm assurance behind a disciplined defence.

His club career has taken him from Reims and Rennes to Chelsea, where he won the UEFA Champions League in 2021, before moving to the Saudi Pro League.

With 58 caps for Senegal, Mendy remains the backbone of a team chasing a second consecutive continental crown.

Final within the final

Both goalkeepers now ply their trade in Saudi Arabia, a league that demands constant alertness against attack-heavy opposition — a factor that has sharpened, rather than softened, their edge.

AFCON finals are often tense, tactical affairs, where a single save can define history. On Sunday, Africa’s ultimate prize may hinge not on flair or firepower, but on which goalkeeper owns the decisive moment.

When Morocco and Senegal collide, the loudest battle may be the quietest one — fought between the posts.

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