Sevilla’s Bounou wins first LaLiga Santander Mid-Season African MVP Award

Sevilla FC’s impressive Moroccan shot stopper Yassine “Bono” Bounou has been voted by fans as a popular first winner of the new LaLiga Santander Mid-Season African MVP Award.

Fans voted overwhelmingly for Bounou, who has been a mainstay in goal for Morocco in Cameroon at the African Nations Cup who lost to Egypt in the quarterfinal on Sunday

This new award acknowledges the increasing importance and value of the contribution of African players to the growth of LaLiga and fans voted in large numbers on LaLiga’s social media platforms for the African stars they felt has had the best season to date.

Bounou won the award ahead of Nigeria’s Villareal striker Samuel Chukwueze and Bono’s Moroccan and Sevilla teammate Youssef En-Nesyri.

The popular goalkeeper has been one of the most influential players in LaLiga this season, playing 20 games for Sevilla in LaLiga and the UEFA Champions League and conceding just 13 goals in over 1800 minutes of football to help propel Sevilla to second spot on the LaLiga standings.

“I want to thank you very much for this award. For me it is a great pride to represent African football in the Spanish LaLiga and hopefully we can continue to succeed and open the door for other talents that in the future will surely succeed in LaLiga.” Bounou said from the Moroccan camp in Cameroon, after news of his LaLiga Santander Mid-Season MVP Award win.

Bounou has become Sevilla’s main goalkeeper and one of the most influential keepers in LaLiga since his transfer from Girona in the 2019/2020 season, when he helped Sevilla to the Europa League title.

Nigerian Super Eagles striker Chukwueze was the runner up for the award to Bounou after his welcome return to the Villarreal team after a long injury layoff.

In third place was Bounou’s Sevilla and Morocco compatriot En-Nesyri, who last season scored back-to-back LaLiga hat-tricks.

“We are delighted with the phenomenal response from African football fans to the first LaLiga Santander African Mid-Season MVP Award competition. Bounou is a popular first winner of the award, with Moroccan fans in particular showing their huge appreciation for the fantastic season he has been having at Sevilla. We are very excited to see the growth of LaLiga on the African continent and by the reaction to fans to this fan-driven award, as we continue to look to innovatively grow the LaLiga brand on the African continent,” said Marcos Pelegrin, LaLiga Southern Africa Managing Director.