World cup semi-finalist Moroccan national football team’s journey at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) has come to an end after sustaining a 2-0 defeat against South Africa in the tournament’s round of 16.
Despite being favorites to not only win today’s clash but the tournament itself, the Atlas Lions were unable to put the ball in the net against a South African team whose tactics appeared to be to defend in numbers and rely on few counterattacking opportunities to score.
With today’s win, the Bafana Bafana, who proved to be strong opponents, have booked their ticket for the AFCON quarterfinals.
Both teams struggled to break the deadlock in the first half of the game. Morocco began by dominating possession, with Achraf Hakimi’s attempt deflected for a corner at the eight minute. On countless occasions, however, South Africa’s defence held firm and thwarted Morocco’s attacking efforts.
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Despite Morocco’s pressure, South Africa attempted to put the goal in the net with Thapelo Morena’s header narrowly missing the mark at the 17th minute.
In the 28th minute, Morocco seemed close to breaking the tie when Mazraoui kicked the ball into the net. But the referee had already blown the whistle for an offside during the build-up to the play and the goal was disallowed.
The game then turned tetchy, with Kekana receiving a yellow card in the 32nd minute.
Frustration grew on both sides as players missed golden opportunities to score. Bayen Leverkusen’s Adli missed a good opportunity for the Atlas Lions in the 38th minute.
South Africa gained more possession as the second half of the match rolled on, leading to their breakthrough. Evidence Makgopa managed to score a goal in the 55th minute.
The Atlas Lions soon showed a determined effort to fight back and regain control of the match. Despite reaching the area through Youssef En-Nsyri and Abde Azzalzouli, they could not get through South Africa’s defense line and overturn the scoreline.
Ayoub El Kaabi had a good chance with a header in the 75th minute, but it unfortunately missed the goal.
The Atlas Lions’ biggest scoring opportunity fell to Achraf Hakimi after South Africa’s Mothobi Mvala handled the ball in the penalty area. But the PSG right-back hit the ball too hard and it bounced on the crossbar, missing the target.
As the Atlas Lions chased a last-gasp equalizer to send the game to extra time, South Africa extinguished any hopes of a Moroccan comeback with a second goal that sucked the air out of Morocco’s AFCON aspirations.
South Africa will lock horns with Cape Verde at the tournament’s quarterfinals next Saturday.
