The football world has its eyes on the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations, and it’s no surprise that the recent match between South Africa and Morocco has caused quite a stir. South Africa delivered a stunning performance by defeating Morocco 2-0, securing their place in the quarterfinals of the continental competition being held in the Ivory Coast until the 10th of next month.
The excitement peaked during the match when Paris Saint-Germain’s defender Achraf Hakimi missed a penalty kick just 5 minutes before the end of the game. The thrilling encounter further escalated when Morocco’s Soffian Amrabat was sent off, reducing their team to 10 players after a foul on Teboho Mokoena, who was about to net a goal. However, Mokoena succeeded in scoring from the free-kick at the edge of the penalty area, doubling South Africa’s lead in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
Despite Morocco dominating the first half, South Africa’s striker Evidence Makgopa took the lead in the 57th minute. South Africa’s qualification for the quarterfinals marks their second entry, following the 2019 edition, which witnessed the tournament expanding to include 24 teams instead of the previous 16. The next match will see South Africa, who claimed the title in 1996, facing Cape Verde on the upcoming Saturday.
This marks the first time since the 2013 edition that no Arab team has advanced to the quarterfinals, setting the stage for an intriguing continuation of the tournament. The match has also sparked discussions and reactions on various social media platforms, with fans expressing their perspectives on the intense game that unfolded on the field.
