South Africa defeated Morocco 2-0 in the round of 16 encounter of AFCON 2023 to confirm their place in the quarter-final.
Morocco, the semi-finalists of the FIFA World Cup 2022, couldn’t breach South Africa’s defence and failed to score.
South Africa coach Hugo Bross has credited their 2-0 win against Morocco to a tactical approach
Bafana Bafana knocked Morocco out with well-deserved goals in the second half, booking their spot in the quarter-finals where they will face Cape Verde on February 3.
“In the first half, we tried to contain them and cut off their passing lines. In the second, the game opened up and we scored. We knew that whoever scores first in the match will have a big advantage," Bross said.
The initial half witnessed limited goal-scoring opportunities. The Atlas Lions of Morocco had the best chance, but their goal was disallowed by VAR. The second half contrasted with the first in terms of drama and goals.
South Africa took the lead in the 57th minute when Evidence Makgopa connected with a pass inside the 18-yard box, placing the ball into the bottom right corner of the net.
After falling behind, Morocco's sole objective was to equalise, prompting the introduction of more forwards.
In the 83rd minute, Morocco was awarded a penalty when Teboho Mokoena handled the ball in the South African 18-yard box. The penalty decision was confirmed after a VAR review.
Achraf Hakimi stepped up to take the penalty but hit the ball against the crossbar, missing the chance to equalise.
Although South Africa felt relieved after the miss, the pressure was still on. Sofyan Amrabat was sent off after a challenge on Mokoena as the last man, receiving a second yellow card that was upgraded to a straight red following a VAR review by referee Mahmood Ismail.
Taking advantage of the numerical disadvantage, South Africa secured the victory with a second goal, courtesy of a superb free-kick by Teboho Mokoena.
“We fought until the end with our weapons. I am disappointed for our supporters who deserved much better. I felt we were capable of bringing this cup home. But that didn't happen. I hope my players will learn, especially the younger ones,” said Morocco boss Walid Regragui after the match.
