South Africa shocked Morocco by beating them 2-0 and sent them crashing out of the AFCON! A second-half strike from Evidence Makgoba and a late free-kick from Teboho Mokoena did the damage on the night in San Pedro, but it was Achraf Hakimi who really settled this game. The PSG man ruined his teams best attacks and missed a penalty kick that would have made it 1-1 with just ten minutes left.The Atlas Lions’ biggest stars failed on the night. Hakimi missed the penalty and Sofyan Amrabat received his second booking of the night to wrap up a terrible night for Walid Regragui and his men.It was the sixth time these two countries met in an Africa Cup of Nations game. Bafana Bafana won the first two games, in 1998 and 2022. The next two, in 2004 and 2013, ended in draws – and Morocco won the previous one, five years ago.
The Atlas Lions’ coach Regragui was forced to pick the team without Hakim Ziyech and Sofiane Boufal, while South Africa head coach Hugo Broos picked the same XI which faced Tunisia.After an hour of disappointing and hardly watchable action in still-scorching hot Stade Laurent-Pokou in San Pedro, South Africa took the lead after a lovely team move what left Evidence Makgopa one-on-one with Yassine Bounou. The Orlando Pirates’ 23-year-old forward squeezed the ball through the ‘keeper’s legs and celebrated the goal that came slightly against the run of play. There was a short VAR review to check if the goalscorer was offside, but the goal stood.
Suddenly, the north African team had to find another gear and chase an equalizer. Needs must as they say and the Atlas Lions looked far more dangerous. Achraf Hakimi kept getting into good postitions as he cut in from his usual right wingback position but he did more harm than good as he got in the way of of a teammate just as he was preparing to shoot.
The Moroccans got their chance to level after Mothobi Mvala stopped a shot from El-Kaabi with his arm. The ref took a look at video evidence and inevitably pointed to the spot. Uu stepped Hakimi, Paris Saint-Germain’s big-money recruit, but he hammered the ball off the crossbar and begind as Regragui had his arm in his hands.A perfect free-kick from Mokoena ensured the victory for the South over North – Bafana Bafana move in the quarter-finals!AFCON 2023 – LAST 16SaturdayAngola – Namibia 3-0 (2-0)/Dala 38, 43 Mabululu 66/Nigeria – Cameroon 1-0 (0-0)/Lookman 36/SundayEquatorial Guinea – Guinea 0-1 (0-0)/Bayo 90+8/Egypt – Dr Congo 1-1 (1-1) penalties /Mohamed (p) 45+1 – Elia 37/MondayCape Verde – Mauritania 1-0 (0-0)/Mendes (p) 86/Senegal – Ivory Coast 1-0 (1-0)/Diallo 4/TuesdayMali – Burkina Faso 2-1 (1-0)/E. Tapsoba (OG) 3, Sinayoko 47 – B. Traore (p) 57/Morroco – South Africa 0-2 (0-0)/Makgopa 56, Mokoena 90+5/