South Africa delivered a remarkable performance, securing a quarter-final spot by defeating 10-man Morocco in the Africa Cup of Nations. This victory sets the stage for a quarter-final clash against Cape Verde.
The breakthrough came in the 57th minute when Evidence Makgopa opened the scoring. Notably, his goal survived a VAR review for offside, putting South Africa in the lead.
Morocco had an opportunity to level the score late in the game after Achraf Hakimi was awarded a penalty for a handball by Mothobi Mvala. However, Hakimi's spot-kick hit the crossbar, denying Morocco the chance to equalize.
The situation further tilted in South Africa's favor when Manchester United midfielder Sofyan Amrabat was sent off in stoppage time, complicating Morocco's chances.
Capitalizing on their numerical advantage, South Africa sealed the victory with Teboho Mokoena's fine free-kick past Bono. This win propels South Africa into the quarter-finals, where they are set to face Cape Verde.
As the 1996 champions, South Africa aims to surpass their quarter-final exit in the 2019 tournament, aspiring to advance to the semi-finals.