South Africa’s national football team, Bafana Bafana, secured a spot in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) quarter-finals by defeating tournament favorites Morocco 2-0.
The match, held in San-Pedro, saw Evidence Makgopa scoring the opening goal before Hakimi missed a penalty for Morocco. Sofyan Amrabat of Morocco was later sent off, and Teboho Mokoena sealed South Africa’s victory with a free-kick.
This surprising outcome mirrors the host country Cote D’Ivoire’s victory over reigning champions Senegal the previous night, indicating a trend of major upsets at the tournament.
South Africa, featuring several players from Mamelodi Sundowns, will face Cape Verde in the quarter-finals. Additionally, Morocco’s early elimination further emphasizes the unexpected nature of this year’s AFCON, as several prominent African teams, including Senegal, Tunisia, Algeria, and Egypt, have also been knocked out.