Bafana Bafana have reached the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after a 2-0 victory over Morocco at the Stade de Yamoussoukro in Ivory Coast.
Goals from Orlando Pirates striker Evidence Makgopa and midfielder Teboho Mokoena secured the win for South Africa, who will now face Cape Verde in the last eight on February 3.
Makgopa opened the scoring in the 57th minute when he turned in a cross from Percy Tau, and Mokoena sealed the victory with a free-kick in the 90th minute.
Morocco had a chance to get back into the game when they were awarded a penalty in the 85th minute, but Achraf Hakimi’s effort hit the post and went wide.
The Atlas Lions were also reduced to 10 men in the 90th minute when Sofyan Amrabat was sent off for a second yellow card.
The win sees Bafana Bafana reach the quarter-finals of AFCON for the first time since 2015.
South Africa coach Hugo Broos was delighted with his team’s performance.
“I’m very proud of my players,” he said. “They worked hard and deserved to win.
“We knew Morocco would be a tough test, but we were confident in our own ability.
“We’re now looking forward to the quarter-finals.”
Bafana Bafana captain Ronwen Williams praised his team’s fighting spirit.
“We showed great character tonight,” he said. “We never gave up, even when Morocco were on top.
“We’re a team that’s always improving, and we’re now one step closer to our goal of winning AFCON.”
South Africa will be hoping to continue their good form when they face Cape Verde in the quarter-finals.
The Blue Sharks are the underdogs, but they have already shown that they can cause an upset, having beaten Cameroon in the group stages.
Bafana Bafana will need to be at their best if they want to reach the semi-finals.
