AFCON 2023: South Africa stun Morocco to complete last 8 pack

-Evidence Makgopa gave South Africa the lead just before the hour mark in San-Pedro

-Achraf Hakimi missed a penalty for Morocco

-The Atlas Lions were reduced to 10 men when Sofyan Amrabat was sent off deep in the second stanza

-Teboho Mokoena scored Bafana Bafana’s second goal in stoppage time to spark wild scenes and send SA through to the quarter-finals

Much-fancied Morocco were knocked out of the Africa Cup of Nations in the last 16 on Tuesday, suffering a shock 2-0 defeat against South Africa.

Evidence Makgopa and Teboho Mokoena scored second-half goals as South Africa shocked Morocco with a 2-0 victory to dump the World Cup semi-finalists out of the Africa Cup of Nations at the last-16 stage in San Pedro on Tuesday.

Morocco, who had Sofyan Amrabat sent off late on, were among the favourites at the tournament in the Ivory Coast, but their continental curse continues and they remain without a Cup of Nations title since 1976, this time undone in the muggy heat of the Laurent Pokou Stadium.

South Africa led in the 57th minute when midfielder Themba Zwane, so often the creative fulcrum of the side, slipped a pass through to tall striker Makgopa and he calmly slid the ball past goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, before Mokoena fired in a superb late free kick.

Morocco had a chance to level with the score at 1-0 when they were awarded a penalty, but Achraf Hakimi hit the crossbar and it will be South Africa who play Cape Verde in the quarter-finals in Yamoussoukro on Saturday.

South Africa will face Cape Verde in the quarter-final of the competition. The last time South Africa made it through to the quarter-finals was in 2019 in Egypt, before missing completely out of the AFCON in Cameroon.