Bafana Bafana set for Atlas Lions hurdle at Laurent Pokou Stadium

Bafana Bafana are set to battle Atlas Lions of Morocco in a highly anticipated Africa Cup of Nations last-16 clash scheduled for Tuesday at the Laurent Pokou Stadium in San Pedro.

The encounter between the boys and the Lions will mark their 10th overall meeting and their sixth clash in the continental showpiece.

In a football tale woven with passion and drama, Bafana first crossed paths with Morocco in the enchanting setting of Afcon’s quarter-final in Burkina Faso back in February 1998.

A young Benni McCarthy ignited the scoreboard with a brilliant strike 21 minutes into the contest, answered by a spirited response from Saud Chiba for the North Africans just 14 minutes later.

Yet, it was David Nyathi who etched South Africa’s name in victory, delivering a decisive goal.

Four years later, the two nations would meet again in Mali at the 2002 edition.

Sibusiso Zuma seized the spotlight by opening the scoring just three minutes before half-time. In the second act, Thabi Mngomeni and Siyabonga Nomvethe added their chapters to the narrative with second-half goals.

Despite Morocco’s late attempt at a comeback, through Rachid Benmahmoud’s 77th-minute penalty, Bafana held their ground, securing a resolute 3-1 victory.

Over the course of the next 21 years, spanning seven encounters, Morocco would assert their dominance, a testament to their prowess on the field.

One notable instance includes the group stage defeat suffered by Stuart Baxter’s charges in the 2019 clash held in Egypt.

In the final Afcon qualifier last year at FNB Stadium, Bafana secured a stunning 2-1 victory against Morocco.

This result, despite having no implications on qualification as both nations had already booked their places at this year’s tournament, showcased South Africa’s potential to cause an upset.

But Bafana will come up against Morocco who are a tough nut to crack under Walid Regragui.

The 48-year-old boasts a 57.14% win percentage, with 12 victories, six draws, and three losses in 21 matches.

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His last defeat occurred at the hands of his counterpart on Tuesday evening, Hugo Broos, as they are currently on an eight-match unbeaten streak.

The 71-year-old Broos took Bafana on a 530-day unbeaten streak that cracked against a lowly ranked Rwanda outfit in a World Cup qualifier last year.

Broos has overseen 26 matches and his 27th match also marks his 1 000th day in charge of Bafana since he replaced Molefi Ntseki on 5 May 2021.  Broos has a 50% win percentage after 13 wins, eight draws and five defeats.

It has been 28 years since Bafana had last tasted Afcon glory, while 48 years for Morocco.

Broos, however, is the only individual with a gold medal from Afcon. He guided Cameroon to the 2017 edition of the tournament.

The winners will face either high flying Cape Verde or Mauritania in the semi-final set for Saturday

Past encounters:

Matches: Nine

Bafana Bafana: 3 wins, 3 draws, 3 defeats

Morocco: 3 wins, 3 draws, 3 defeats