huge disappointment for Morocco, eliminated by South Africa in the round of 16

Walid Regragui’s men, semi-finalists of the last World Cup and big favorites for the final victory, paid for their immense clumsiness. Bafana Bafana join the eighth alongside Mali, who defeated Burkina Faso.

The dream vanished in the round of 16 for Achraf Hakimi’s teammates. Morocco has not escaped the fate which seems to befalling the favorites for final victory since the start of this CAN. The Atlas Lions fell on Wednesday January 30, beaten by a much more realistic South Africa (2-0). It is the latter who will challenge Cape Verde in the quarter-finals. A little earlier, Mali had quietly dismissed Burkina Faso and made an appointment with Ivory Coast in the next round.

Morocco punished by South Africa

The surprise elimination of the Senegalese title holder had propelled him into the role of favorite. Semi-finalist in Qatar, Morocco, which remained in two quarter-finals over the last three editions, intended to confirm its rise to power on a continental scale by going to the end of a CAN which it has not won since. 48 years old.

Without their dynamiter, Sofiane Boufal, Morocco had started the game perfectly, putting their foot on the ball, chaining combinations on the sides where Achraf Hakimi and Noussair Mazraoui showed themselves very well. The fact remains that in the 70th minute, the Atlas Lions although they had more shots (seven against four), they had only scored one… The South Africans, accompanied by this surplus of success which often makes the difference in these direct elimination matches, had opened the score on one of their rare occasions thanks to an opportunistic goal from Evidence Makgopa (56th).

Impaling themselves, wave after wave, on a tactically very strong South African team, the Moroccan spirits tensed. They sometimes gave in to the rush when approaching the surface. The failure of the PSG full-back, who sent the equalizing penalty over the bar (85th), caused the Moroccans to go from hope to disillusionment in just a few minutes.

Eight minutes later, Morocco were reduced to ten men, with Sofyan Amrabat sent off for an illegal charge while in a last defender position. In the process (90+4), Teboho Mokoena, with a superb free kick, definitively propelled his team towards the quarter-finals of the CAN. They will now aim for the last four, which they have not reached since 2000.

Mali too strong for Burkina Faso

Since 2004, confrontations between Malians and Burkinabés have almost always gone in favor of the former (five wins, one draw, one defeat). This round of 16 of the CAN was no exception. The Eagles, who finished first in their group, quickly got their foot on the ball and pushed the Burkinabés to make a mistake. From the 3rd minute, Edmond Tapsoba completely missed his clearance following a cross and scored against his side.

Mali had to wait until the 47th minute to realize one of its many attacks with the help of one of its own. It was Lassine Sinayoko who slipped the ball between the legs of Hervé Koffi. The penalty converted by former Lyon player Bertrand Traoré ten minutes later was not enough to change the destiny of Burkina Faso. The road for the Stallions, semi-finalists of the last edition, ends there. Mali will face host country Ivory Coast in the next round.