South Africa stunned Morocco in the round of 16 of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, winning 2-0 and eliminating the World Cup semi-finalists from the tournament. Evidence Makgopa and Teboho Mokoena scored the goals for the Bafana Bafana, who defended resolutely and took their chances against a frustrated Moroccan side.
Morocco had dominated possession and had a goal disallowed for offside in the first half, but they failed to break down South Africa’s compact defense. The Atlas Lions also wasted a golden opportunity to equalize in the 85th minute, when Achraf Hakimi missed a penalty after Mothobi Mvala handled the ball in the box. To make matters worse, Sofyan Amrabat was sent off in stoppage time for a second yellow card, before Mokoena curled a superb free-kick past Bono to seal the upset.
South Africa, who had qualified for the knockout stage as the second-placed team in Group E, will now face Cape Verde in the quarter-finals on Saturday. Cape Verde had topped Group B with two wins and a draw, and had beaten Egypt on penalties in the last 16. Morocco, on the other hand, will have to reflect on their disappointing exit, as they had entered the tournament as one of the favorites and had won Group F with two wins and a draw.
The result was a huge shock for Moroccan fans, who had high hopes for their team after their impressive performance at the 2022 World Cup, where they had reached the semi-finals for the first time in their history. South Africa, meanwhile, celebrated their biggest win in recent years, as they proved that they can compete with the best teams in Africa.
