In a dramatic turn of events at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), South Africa delivered a stunning upset by defeating Morocco 2-0 in the Round of 16 stage, securing their place in the quarter-finals.
Despite being the top-ranked nation in Africa, Morocco faced an unexpected exit after a ten-man battle against a resilient South African team. The match featured standout performances and late-game twists that left football fans on the edge of their seats.
Evidence Makgopa and Teboho Mokoena emerged as the heroes for Bafana Bafana with excellent second-half goals. Makgopa’s well-placed finish into the bottom corner broke the deadlock and set the stage for a memorable victory. The goal, initially reviewed by VAR, was allowed to stand, giving South Africa the lead.
Morocco, despite dominating possession and having several scoring opportunities, faced a setback when Achraf Hakimi missed a late penalty that could have equalized the score. The Atlas Lions’ hopes further dwindled as Sofyan Amrabat received a red card after a VAR review for a foul on Mokoena as the last man.
Teboho Mokoena, seizing the moment, capitalized on a free-kick he had earned, whipping home a brilliant shot to seal South Africa’s triumph. The victory sparked jubilant scenes within the Bafana Bafana squad, marking a historic moment in AFCON.
South Africa will now face Cape Verde in the quarter-finals, positioning themselves as underdogs with the potential to make further waves in the tournament. On the other hand, Morocco, considered a favorite, will reflect on a missed opportunity to secure the prestigious continental title.
In another AFCON match on the same day, Mali secured their place in the last eight by defeating Burkina Faso 2-1. Mali will face tournament hosts Ivory Coast in the upcoming quarter-final clash.
The AFCON tournament continues to deliver unexpected twists and turns, showcasing the unpredictable nature of football on the African continent.
You wonder what has gone wrong with our Zambian National team.
Chiluba gave the mines to white people, believing that they are the ones who know how run everything. The white people mismanaged the mines, swindled Zambia, and refused to sponsor football teams. Without the mines teams, Zambia is nothing.
Kamanga
The Zambian team is a provincial team. It is not a national team. FAZ should let the coach go to North Western and Western Provinces to recruit real national players. History is very clear that these two provinces including Southern Province produce the best players in the country. TRUTH BE TOLD.
After all these years its no surprise really,
They/we all lack decication and commitment to our respective fields
The first South African goal was an offside. The ref then tried to deny Morocco a penalty, and finally had to be forced by aggressive pressure from the Moroccan players. Hakimi missed the penalty, which is something I do not understand. The second South African goal was spectacular
Lusaka Times…Morocco only played with 10 men for only less than a minute….They played with 11 players for 90 minute….North Africans are just overated and big headed same applies to West Africans…..
Now South Africa needs to remain focused…North Africans and West Africans act like Primadonas just like Brazil no wonder Brazilian soccer has gone down…
Brazillian soccer has gone down because of European capital. All their stars now play in Europe. South American competitions are 2nd class. Even Afcon is better. The Brazillian flair is gone and their football has adopted the boring 442 styles of Europe. It would take a great revolution to wake Brazil up!
It is no surprise because unlike zambia, South africa is led by a competent president.
Thank you South Africa for getting rid of these racist, supremacist “we are not Africans” Moroccans. They refused to stay at the soccer village with the rest of the other African football teams, and stayed at a posh hotel instead. This exit is the return for all those expenditures! They played against Zambia with noticeable disrespect, but for some reason seemed to respect South Africa. To the Zambian national team, that is how to do it, no need to fear them.
Good performance by South Africa. The core of the team is Mamelodi Sundowns. This shows the importance of having players that know each other well. These guys pay together at the local team level. Modau was a revelation.
@ Soccer Fan no2
I agree with you 100%….i remember back in the days no one used to mess with Brazil…it used to be fun watching them play and control the tempo of the game from start to finish