Not many batted an eyelid when Morocco drew South Africa in the Round of 16 of the 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON). After all, it looked like a straightforward affair on paper, as the 2022 FIFA World Cup semi-finalists possessed far too much quality to be troubled by the underdogs, South Africa.
The complacency and the sense of inevitability seemingly had complete control of the Morocco players on Tuesday night (January 30), as they looked hopelessly underprepared for the brash and relentless South African unit. It ended 2-0 in favor of Hugo Broos’ side on the night, marking a historic win for the 66th-ranked FIFA nation.
South Africa’s Fighting Spirit Pays Off In The Second Half, As Morocco Rue Missed Opportunities
Morocco, who are in 13th place in the FIFA Men’s World Rankings, looked the more confident team when in possession. They passed the ball around with ease and made inroads into the opposition box time and time again.
Amine Adli and Selim Amallah had two excellent opportunities to find the back of the net in the opening quarter of the game, but they somehow failed to hit the mark. South African center-back Mothobi Mvala also popped up with a couple of crucial blocks to keep Adil and Achraf Hakimi from wheeling away in celebration.
Teboho Mokoena lodged South Africa’s first and only shot on target in the first half, testing Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou with a zinger of a strike from long range.
Minutes into the second half, Azzedine Ounahi won possession inside the opposition half, played a little one-two with Youssef En-Nesyri, and went for goal from close range. The strike lacked accuracy as it sailed over the South African crossbar.
In the 57th minute, South Africa came out all guns blazing for the first time on the night and deservedly put their noses in front. Receiving the ball from Themba Zwane, Evidence Makgopa thumped the ball home from a tight angle, leaving Bono on the grass. Morocco created a couple more chances in the aftermath of the goal, but their finishing let them down.
SOUTH AFRICA 🇿🇦 KNOCK MOROCCO 🇲🇦 OUT OF THE AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS 😲 pic.twitter.com/YrcGR2lOgW
— 433 (@433) January 30, 2024
The equalizer seemed to be inevitable when the referee pointed to the spot after a clear handball from Mvala. But against all odds, captain Hakimi applied too much power to his penalty and saw it crash against the top of the post and zip behind for a goal kick.
Things went from bad to worse for the best-ranked African team when Manchester United ace Sofyan Ambrabat saw a second yellow for bringing down Mokoena on the inside-left channel, just outside the box. After a VAR review, the referee changed the card to a straight red, frustrating Amrabat further. Mokoena took the resulting free-kick with aplomb, finding the back of the net with a gem of a curler and sealing a 2-0 win for the underdogs.
Having beaten one of the tournament favorites, South Africa will square off against Cape Verde in the 2023 AFCON quarter-final on Saturday (February 3).
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