SAN-PÉDRO, Ivory Coast: Achraf Hakimi missed a vital late penalty as much-fancied Morocco became the latest heavyweight casualty of the Africa Cup of Nations on Tuesday, suffering a shock 2-0 defeat to South Africa in the last 16.
Evidence Makgopa gave South Africa the lead just before the hour mark in the Ivorian coastal city of San-Pedro, but Morocco had the chance to draw level five minutes from time from the penalty spot.
Paris Saint-Germain star Hakimi squandered the opportunity, sending his kick off the top of the bar and over, before Morocco’s misery was compounded as Sofyan Amrabat was sent off in stoppage time and Teboho Mokoena scored South Africa’s second from the resulting free-kick.
Bafana Bafana go through to a quarter-final on Saturday in Yamoussokro against tiny Cape Verde, who have been one of the surprise packages of the tournament so far.
But Morocco, World Cup semifinalists in 2022, add to an ever-growing list of the continent’s biggest names to have been knocked out of this Cup of Nations, 24 hours after champions Senegal were eliminated on penalties by hosts Ivory Coast.
Africa’s top-ranked side were hoping to follow up their remarkable run to the last four in Qatar just over a year ago by winning their second AFCON title, 48 years after their first.
Instead they go the same way as Senegal, Tunisia, Algeria and Egypt in being knocked out, meaning none of the five top-ranked African nations will be present in the quarter-finals, as well as none of the four semifinalists from the last edition.
A South Africa side featuring eight players from the country’s leading club Mamelodi Sundowns in their starting line-up took the lead in the 57th minute.
Themba Zwane released Orlando Pirates striker Makgopa, who finished past Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
Yet a Morocco team missing the injured Hakim Ziyech and Sofiane Boufal were given a glorious chance to equalize late on.
They appealed loudly for a penalty when an Ayoub El Kaabi shot from point-blank range smashed into the arm of South African defender Mothobi Mvala.
The Sudanese referee initially waved play on before awarding the penalty after being called across to review the incident.
Up stepped Hakimi, the runner-up to Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen for the most recent African footballer of the year prize, but he failed to convert from the spot.
Morocco were then reduced to 10 men in the second minute of injury time as Amrabat of Manchester United was dismissed for a last-man challenge on Mokoena as the South Africa midfielder charged toward the penalty box.
Amrabat was initially given a second yellow, a punishment that was upgraded to a straight red following a review.
The excellent Mokoena, one of the Sundowns contingent, then converted the resulting free-kick to finish off Morocco once and for all.
Hakimi misses penalty as South Africa knock Morocco out of Cup of Nations
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Hakimi misses penalty as South Africa knock Morocco out of Cup of Nations
- The excellent Mokoena, one of the Sundowns contingent, then converted the resulting free-kick to finish off Morocco once and for all
Barcelona pounces on Real Madrid stumble and regains lead of La Liga with a 3-0 win over Levante
- Barcelona moved one point ahead of Madrid, which had won eight in a row in the league before losing to Osasuna
MADRID: Barcelona took advantage of Real Madrid’s stumble and regained the Spanish league lead with a comfortable 3-0 win over relegation-threatened Levante on Sunday.
Marc Bernal, Frenkie de Jong and Fermín López scored a goal each as Barcelona ended a two-game losing streak to get back in front of rival Madrid, which lost 2-1 at Osasuna on Saturday.
Barcelona moved one point ahead of Madrid, which had won eight in a row in the league before losing to Osasuna.
Barcelona was coming off a 2-1 loss to Girona in the league and a 4-0 loss to Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals.
“It was important to win and earn three points again,” Barcelona defender João Cancelo said. “Soccer gives you these opportunities to rebound and that’s what we did today, playing well again after two bad games.”
Barcelona had earned a clean sheet only once in its previous six games in all competitions.
Good start for Barcelona
Bernal scored from close range four minutes into the match at the Camp Nou Stadium. The 18-year-old Bernal had scored his first goal with the first team two rounds ago in a win over Mallorca.
“They had an early chance but my goal helped us settle and gain some confidence,” Bernal said.
De Jong added to the lead from inside the area in the 32nd and López sealed the victory with a beautiful long-range shot in the 81st, with the ball ricocheting off the post before going into the net.
Levante’s Australian goalkeeper Mathew Ryan kept Barcelona from adding the fourth with a pair of outstanding saves in a row in the final minutes, first off a header by Raphinha and then off a point-blank strike from López on the rebound.
It was the fourth straight defeat for Levante, which sits in 19th place. It is one point ahead of last-place Oviedo, which has a game in hand.
Levante has only one victory in its last eight matches.
Pedri entered the match in the 66th to make his return to action after an injury layoff.
Other results
Sevilla won 1-0 at 10-man Getafe for its second win in its last 10 matches in all competitions.
Djibril Sow scored a 64th-minute winner for the visitors. Getafe played a man down from the 26th after a straight red card for Djene Dakonam.
The result left Sevilla in 11th place, immediately above Getafe.
Third-place Villarreal, Barcelona’s next league opponent, can restore a three-point gap to fourth-place Atletico Madrid if it beats Valencia at home later Sunday. Atletico beat Espanyol 4-2 at home on Saturday.
