African Cup without Arab teams... South Africa shocks Morocco and reaches the quarter-finals

Hakimi (No. 2) missed a penalty kick for Morocco 5 minutes before the end of the match against South Africa (Reuters)

South Africa reached the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations with a two-goal win over Morocco in the quarter-finals of the continental competition held in Ivory Coast until the tenth of next month.

Paris Saint-Germain full-back Achraf Hakimi missed a penalty kick 5 minutes before the end of the match.

Morocco - which was a candidate to win the title after it became the first African team to qualify for the World Cup semi-finals about 14 months ago - was completed with 10 players after Sofiane Amrabat was sent off for obstructing Teboho Mokoena before he was alone with the goal.

But Mokoena succeeded in scoring from the free kick awarded at the edge of the penalty area, doubling the lead in the fifth minute of stoppage time.

Schedule of the knockout round matches in the African Cup of Nations. pic.twitter.com/UUGemWJaGK

- Al Jazeera Net Sports (@AJASports) January 25, 2024

Although Morocco dominated the first half, striker Evidences Makgoba gave South Africa the lead in the 57th minute.

Schedule of the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final matches | Sports | Al Jazeera Net (aljazeera.net)

Despite its absence from the last edition, South Africa qualified for the round of 8 for the second time after the 2019 edition, which witnessed the start of 24 teams participating in the tournament instead of 16.

South Africa, which won the title in 1996, will play Cape Verde next Saturday.

This is the first time since the 2013 edition that no Arab team has qualified for the quarter-finals.

Evedence Makgoba shocks Morocco with the goal of advancing #Africa_Cup of Nations | #Morocco_South_Africa #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 pic.twitter.com/hynatJ5Omt

- beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) January 30, 2024

Hakimi misses the chance to equalize for Morocco from a penalty kick #Africa_Cup of Nations | #Morocco_South_Africa #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 pic.twitter.com/IItRMc7Jvt

- beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) January 30, 2024

South Africa national team adds the second goal from a free kick ⚽️🇿🇦#Africa_Cup of Nations | #Morocco_South_Africa #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 pic.twitter.com/pNTksHBZIN

- beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) January 30, 2024

The referee returns to the video technology, cancels the yellow card, and shows the red card to the #Africa_Cup of Nations | #Morocco_South_Africa #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 pic.twitter.com/1RDIorL5j9

- beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) January 30, 2024

Source: Agencies