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Beating Morocco is Bafana Bafana’s dream
South Africa eyes an upset against Morocco in the Afcon last-16, ready to challenge the formidable World Cup semifinalists.
Hugo Broos celebrates with his Bafana Bafana players after the final whistle on Wednesday. Picture: Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix
Bafana Bafana face the sternest test possible on the continent on Tuesday, when they go up against Morocco in the last-16 of the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals.
Hugo Broos’ side are entitled to feel slightly hard done by a draw that pits them against the 2022 Fifa World Cup semifinalists, though, as the old adage goes, “if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best”.
Bafana also performed well enough in the group stages to suggest that the Atlas Lions will not be in for an easy ride in San Pedro.
If it is easier than ever to reach the knockout rounds at an Afcon, with 16 out of 24 teams going through, Broos’ side still played admirably to finish as runners-up in Group E.
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South Africa did beat Morocco the last time these two sides met in an Afcon qualifier at FNB Stadium last June, albeit that it was a dead rubber, with both sides already qualified for the finals.
In a Nations Cup of surprises, the Atlas Lions have made pretty serene progress so far, but perhaps this will be the moment they slip up. B
afana have at least put themselves in a position to dream.
