Mixed Reaction as South Africa Dodges Humiliating Loss to Morocco in 2023 Africa Cup of Nations Qualifier

• Bafana Bafana lost 2-1 to Morocco's Atlas Lions in a match that could have ended far, far worse than the scoreline suggested
• Lyle Foster put South Africa into a shock early lead, before Morocco surged back to dominate through goals from Youssef En-Nesyri and Ayoub El Kaabi
• Bafana will get to right this scoreline only much later this year against Libera in the reduced 2023 Africa Cup of Nations Group K

South Africa's hopes of getting to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast got off to a bad start.

Bafana Bafana lost 2-1 to Morocco away in a match that the hosts dominated thoroughly. Lyle Foster opened the scoring unexpectedly in the eighth minute, before the Atlas Lions surged back to overwhelm them for large parts of the match.

Youssef En-Nesyri got the deserved equaliser for the hosts after goalkeeper and captain Ronwen Williams had frustrated them, in the 51st minute. Ayoub El Kaabi then plunged the dagger into South African hearts in the 87th minute.

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The result, while not costly, will disappoint many at home in what is a Group K reduced to three teams with Liberia alongside the two sides which played tonight.

@QuincyMoholi said:

"Morocco has Quality players playing Overseas playing high intensity in Europe unlike us here in South Africa we need more players Overseas it's not the coaches problem"

@TEEBOGO7 said:

"Bafana Bafana doesn't have a coach. Morocco defense was poor as well"

@_originalgenius said:

"Broos' plan was on point, we were never gonna match Morocco bar for bar, absorb pressure play those long counter passes , it worked just that our players are too casual."

@SBzo69 said:

"Hands of Hugo Broos. We lost bcoz of dat Sundown's player Lakay/LaCake and dat former Sundown's player Tau. If Bafana Bafana can fix those areas we'll win. Mudau the only Sundown's player worth keeping"

@SamsonBaloyi16 said:

"Those who do not understand football will blame Lakay. Felies and Lakay always faced an overload of 3 vs 2. This got better when Nange came in and the thread was neutralised. Mara Broos, playing 3 holding midfielders and Tau as centre forward instead of Hlongwane. In trouble here"

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Relentless Morocco breaks Bafana Bafana hearts with late goal in Africa Cup of Nations qualifier

Morocco scored a late goal to deny South Africa a hard-earned point in the Group K opener of the AFCON qualifiers.

As reported by Sports Brief, Morocco started the game much stronger and dominated much of the first half.

Paris Saint-Germain’s Achraf Hakimi and Ilias Chair combined well on the right flank to put in dangerous crosses into the box every so often.