Mumbai: Nora Fatehi has finally broken her silence on the dating rumours linking her to Moroccan footballer Yassine Bounou.
The actor-dancer blushed when asked about the speculation but dismissed the romance buzz, describing Bounou as “a really good friend.”
She also praised him as a kind and humble person, hailing him as one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
During a recent appearance on The Kris Fade Show, Nora said, “Oh yeah. He is my friend. I think he is an amazing person. And I am sorry but one of the best goalkeepers in the world, which I am so proud of and I am consistently celebrating that. But yeah, he is a really good friend.”
When the interviewer remarked that they would make a good-looking couple, Nora laughed before responding, “Oh really?”
She also revealed that she regularly follows Morocco’s matches and admires Bounou’s remarkable performances between the posts.
“So I watch the whole Moroccan team play. But yeah, I mean, have you watched him play? Have you seen some of his saves? They’re unheard of in the goalkeeper world if you study football. So, massive support for him,” she said.
Praising Bounou further, Nora added, “He is also very kind. I mean, we share the same manager. So I have known him for a long time vaguely, distantly. We only connected a couple of months ago.”
She went on to say, “He doesn’t care about social media and fame. He only cares about his stats and how he plays.”
Nora was previously linked to Moroccan footballer Achraf Hakimi, but she had dismissed those dating rumours as well.
Addressing the speculation, the actor said she had no idea how the rumours started and clarified that she had only recently met Hakimi through a group of mutual friends.
“I actually never met him before. I just met him recently with a bunch of friends, like ‘Hi, hello’. We have never really connected like that,” she said.
Rumours linking Nora and Bounou have been circulating for months, attracting further attention after the two were reportedly spotted together in Casablanca’s Ain Diab district.
Nora’s vocal support for the Moroccan national football team and her admiration for Bounou’s performances have also fuelled speculation about their relationship.
However, neither Nora nor Bounou has publicly confirmed that they are in a relationship.
Meanwhile, Moroccan media have reported speculation about Bounou’s personal life, including claims that he and his wife, Imane Khallad, have been going through an on-and-off separation.
The couple married in 2016 and welcomed their son, Isaac, in 2020. However, neither Bounou nor his family has publicly commented on those reports.