A counter-attack, a run from the halfway line, a right-footed strike. Youssef En-Nesyri equalised in the 22nd minute of Saturday’s clash between Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal. The beaten goalkeeper? Yassine Bounou. But instead of celebrating, the 29-year-old Moroccan striker stayed stone-faced.
Asked about it after the game, which his side lost 2-3, the former Sevilla man gave an explanation relayed by FRMF Xtra and then Afrik-Foot: « It’s hard for me to celebrate a goal against my brother. » All of this with Bounou himself standing next to him, in a relaxed atmosphere between the two compatriots. Put simply, the Saudi league rivalry has not damaged a thing.
Sevilla, the national team, and now Saudi Arabia
The two men know each other inside out. Team-mates with the Atlas Lions, they also shared the Sevilla dressing room between 2020 and 2023, winning two Europa League titles along the way, in 2020 and 2023.
On Saturday, the goalkeeper had the last word on the scoreboard. But En-Nesyri is settling in at Al-Ittihad with five goals in eight league games. No reason to panic for the Jeddah club, which has found itself a reliable scorer.