Menzi Magubane
Morocco took the lead in Group K after beating Bafana Bafana 2-1 in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier opening match at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
Second half goals by Youssef En-Nesyri and Ayoub El Kaabi completed the comeback of the home side in front of 45,000 vocal supporters on Thursday night.
Dominant Morocco came into this match as favourites and they are the likely winners of the three-team group. The third team in the Group is Liberia. Zimbabwe was to be the fourth team but was disqualified from the qualifiers due to the suspension of the Zimbabwe Football Association by FIFA.
The win saw Morocco maintain their unbeaten record at home since 2019.
Hugo Broos’s man did not disgrace themselves. They put up a sterling performance that surprised the Atlas Lions – especially in the first half.
Bafana stunned the home side by taking the lead in the eighth minute of the match.
Forward Lyle Foster netted his first goal for Bafana after receiving a superb pass from Sphephelo Sithole who was making his debut.
After that goal the Moroccans were all over Bafana but were denied by the brilliance of captain Ronwen Williams in goal.
Williams kept Bafana in the match by denying En-Nesyri twice in the 16th and 17th minutes.
The skipper had five brilliant saves in the first half, ensuring that Bafana went to the break a goal ahead.
In the second-half, however, Morocco turned things around.
It took them only six minutes into the half for En-Nesyri to get the equaliser when he caught Bafana’s defence napping.
Forward El Kaabi gave the home team the winning goal in the 87th minute when the Bafana defence were once again caught sleeping.
The defeat for Bafana is the first ever against the North African team in the Afcon qualifiers.
Meanwhile, Bafana were left disappointed when Iran cancelled their friendly match with the team.
This means that the match with Morocco is Bafana’s last in the June Fifa international calendar.
