South Africa sent the much-fancied 2022 FIFA World Cup semifinalists Morocco home after beating them 2-0 in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) round of 16 in San Pedro.
Coach Hugo Broos, who won the AFCON in 2019 with Cameroon, started with eight Mamelodi Sundowns players for a third consecutive game to eliminate Walid Regragui’s Morocco.
Noussar Mazraoui had put Morocco in the lead in the 33rd minute, but VAR intervened, and the goal was ruled offside, ending the first half 0-0.
In the second half, Bafana Bafana, who relied heavily on counter-attacks, finally broke the deadlock when Evidence Makgopa connected with a pass inside the box and blasted home into the bottom right corner.
Morocco showed a few flashes of brilliance and dominance in possession but could not penetrate the solid South African defense.
With time against them, the Atlas Lions kept banging on South Africa’s door, and it paid off in the 81st minute when Teboho Mokoena handled the ball in the box, earning a penalty following a VAR review. PSG star Acraf Hakimi took the spot kick, but he shot the ball against the crossbar and missed an opportunity to equalize for his team.
Ambrat redcard, Bafana Bafana extend lead
Things became worse for the North Africans when Manchester United’s Sofyan Amrabat received a red card in the 92nd minute for a bad foul.
Despite the numerical shortfall, the game got tight as Morocco continued to press for an equalizer, only to be stopped on a counterattack, resulting in a free kick from a dangerous position. in the 95th minute.
With five minutes of the extra eleven already gone, Mokoena stepped up and took the free kick brilliantly, curving the ball into the top left corner, leaving Bono with no chance of stopping it and so eliminating the Moroccans.
The Atlas Lions have not won the AFCON since 1976 and will have to try again next year when they host it.
South Africa will now look to end their 28-year wait for the prestigious trophy. They will face Cape Verde in the quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, in the earlier match, Mali also defeated Burkina Faso to set up a date with hosts Ivory Coast in the last eight, with goals by Lassine Sinayoko and Edmond Tapsoba, while the Stallions got their consolation through Bertrand Traore.
