CAN 2023: Morocco falls against South Africa (0-2)
Morocco's forward #21 Amine Adli (R) fights for the ball with South Africa's midfielder #4 Teboho Mokoena (L) during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2024 round of 16 football match between Morocco and South Africa at the Stade Laurent Pokou in San Pedro on January 30, 2024. (Photo by SIA KAMBOU / AFP)
The Bafana Bafana setting the pace and opening the score in the 57th minute. The men of Walid Regragui, attempting an all-out effort, miss their chance before committing a foul (90+2) that results in a free-kick finding the top corner. Thus, one of the tournament’s favorites, Morocco, falls in the Round of 16 of this Africa Cup of Nations.
Another favorite has fallen at the Africa Cup of Nations, with Morocco being caught by South Africa (2-0) in the Round of 16 on Tuesday, January 30 in San Pedro, where Achraf Hakimi missed a penalty for a late equalizer.
The first African semi-finalists in the World Cup did not live up to their status; it is the Bafana Bafana (the Boys) who will go on to challenge Cape Verde on Saturday, February 3, in Yamoussoukro, in the most unexpected quarter-final of the tournament.
Like Senegal, surprised the day before by a resurgent Ivory Coast (1-1, 5-4 on penalties), Morocco gave in after a well-controlled first round. Walid Regragui, who had announced he would leave his position as coach if the Atlas Lions did not reach at least the semi-finals, will he stay? With Tunisia and Algeria eliminated in the first round and Egypt ousted by the DRC (1-1, 8-7 on penalties), North Africa has no representatives left in Ivory Coast.
The curse continues for Morocco, which has only won one Africa Cup of Nations, in 1976, a modest achievement considering its status as a giant of the continent. Parisian Hakimi had a chance to equalize with a penalty resulting from a handball by Mothobi Mvala, but he sent it onto the crossbar (85th minute).
