For World Cup semi-finalists Morocco, the Africa Cup is already in the round of 16. The 1976 Cup winners surprisingly lost 0-2 (0-0) against the blatant outsiders South Africa on Tuesday evening.
The quarter-final field of the African Championship is now complete. Evidence Makgopa (57th), who like almost the entire squad is active in the domestic league, scored for the South Africans to take the lead 1-0.
Schedule and results arrow on the right
Hectic final phase, Hakimi misses a penalty
Things got hectic again in the final minutes. Mothobi Mvala blocked a shot from Morocco’s Ayoub El Kaabi with his arm from close range, and referee Mahmood Ismail decided on a penalty after looking at the TV images, which ex-Dortmunder Achraf Hakimi hit the crossbar (84th). Sofyan Amrabat was shown a red card by the North Africans after an emergency stop (90+4), and Teboho Mokoena (90+5) converted the resulting free kick to make the decision.
Morocco, which started with Bundesliga professionals Amine Adli and Noussair Mazraoui, missed its second place in the semi-finals of a major tournament in a row. At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, coach Walid Regragui’s team sensationally made it into the semi-finals.
Tapsoba with an own goal against Mali
Earlier in the evening, Leverkusen’s Edmond Tapsoba caused Burkina Faso to get off to a bad start against Mali. Already in the third minute, the defender directed a rebound off the post into his own goal to make the deficit 0-1. Lassine Sinayoko (47th) increased for Mali shortly after the break, but the goal from a hand penalty by Bertrand Traore (57th, according to video evidence) was no longer enough for Burkina Faso.
In the quarterfinals, Mali will face hosts Ivory Coast and Borussia Dortmund’s Sebastien Haller with Hoffenheim’s Diadie Samassekou and Leipzig’s Amadou Haidara.
South Africa, ranked 66th in the FIFA world rankings, will face Cape Verde (73rd) in the quarter-finals. Guinea, the team of Stuttgart striker Serhou Guirassy, will face the Democratic Republic of Congo. Nigeria and Angola also play against each other.