Afcon2023 | Broos the happiest man as Bafana targets Morocco in last 16

SPORT

As South Africa woke up to mild celebrations on Thursday after Bafana Bafana had advanced to the last 16 round of the Afcon finals in Ivory Coast the night before, no one was happier than their usually hard-to-please veteran coach Hugo Broos.

Bafana secured their place in the knockout round after they earned the point they needed in a goalless draw against Tunisia on Wednesday night.

Themba Zwane delivered a player of the match performance for the second match in succession after the Mamelodi Sundowns midfield maestro was voted the best player in the 4-0 routing of Namibia in their last match.

“I do not have to tell you that there is a very happy coach sitting here behind this microphone,” said Broos after the match at the Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium in Korhogo.

The Belgian continued:  

The performance against the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia was not as stylish and clinical as in their previous match, but it was good enough to push Bafana over the line.

Tunisia, who needed to win to go through to the last 16 round, threw everything at the South Africans, but the stalemate sent the North Africans crashing out of the tournament.

The point helped Bafana finish as the runners-up of group E, which was won by Mali. Their next match is against Morocco next Tuesday.

Bafana lost 2-0 to Mali in their opening match and came storming back to crush Namibia 4-0.

READ: Afcon2023 | Who’s in the last 16 and who’s going home?

Bafana will play World Cup semifinalists Morocco in what is expected to be a crunch last 16 round at the Laurent Pokou Stadium in San-Pedro on Tuesday, 30 January.

Morocco topped group F with seven points. The Atlas Lions devoured Tanzania 3-0, and were held to a 1-1 draw by the Democratic Republic of Congo before they beat Zambia 1-0.

After getting over the first hurdle, Bafana coach Broos said the next objective was to finish as high as possible.

Broos said: 

Morocco and South Africa will be pleased that they will have five full days before their confrontation. They were in the same qualifying group for the Afcon tournament.

Bafana lost 2-1 in the opening qualifying match in Rabat and avenged the defeat by winning by the same score line in the return leg in Johannesburg in June last year.

But Morocco were victorious when the two heavyweights last met in the Afcon finals in Egypt in 2019, winning 1-0 in the group stage.

READ: Doing their homework helped Hugo Broos and team turn around Bafana's Afcon hopes

Morocco’s best run was in 2004 when they finished as runners-up in Tunisia. They won their first and only title in 1976.

South Africa were already on cloud nine after beating neighbours Namibia 4-1 in the previous match at the Stade Amadou Gon Coulibaly, Korhogo, Ivory Coast on 21 January.

REUTERS/Luc Gnago

Bafana, the 1996 champions, have not reached the semi-finals since the 2000 edition co-hosted by Ghana and Nigeria when South Africa won a bronze medal.

READ: All eyes on Bafana: Can Broos break the boys' 20-year Afcon opening game duck?

In another match involving Cosafa teams, Namibia will face off with Angola in the last 16 at the Bouaké Stadium in Bouaké on Saturday.

The Brave Warriors of Namibia, who were in the same group as Bafana, made history by qualifying for their first Afcon knockout round as one of the third best finishers.