Izuchukwu Okosi
Africa’s highest ranked men’s national team, Morocco on Tuesday night crashed out of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire as they fell to a 2-0 defeat to the Bafana Bafana of South Africa in the round of 16 fixture at the Laurent Opoku stadium in San Pedro, reports Prime Business Africa.
The defeat means that the Atlas Lions’ wait for a second Africa Cup of Nations title in nearly 50 years – after their only triumph in 1976 – will continue.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe outcome of the game also sees all Africa’s top five ranked sides – Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria now knocked out of the tournament.
The north Africans, the first African side to reach the semifinals of the FIFA World Cup in 2022 created lots of scoring chances but met a wall of disciplined defence of the South Africans in every step they took to unlock the game.
However, it was 1996 champions South Africa that took a shock lead when Evidence Makgopa’s low shot inside the box beat a stranded Yacinne Bonou in Morocco’s goal.
Walid Regragui’s side were presented with a chance to restore parity through a penalty after the ball struck the arm of the impressive Mothobi Mvala who was blocking a goal-bound shot from substitute Ayoub El Kaabi.
Paris Saint-Germain right wing back Ashraf Yakimi took up the challenge but crashed the ball on the upright to the disappointment of the Moroccan fans in the stands.
Manchester United’s Sofyan Amrabat was initially handed a yellow card for a professional foul but after a VAR review, it was upgraded to a straight red card meaning his tournament was, over even if Morocco had won.
From the free kick that followed at the edge of the penalty box, Aaron Mokoena delivered a super effort into the top-left corner of the Moroccan goal post.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
