…Super Eagles in make or Mar duel against Leone Stars in Monrovia on Sunday at 1700 hours.
The Bafana Bafana of South Africa on Saturday broke a 20 year old jinx against the Atlas Lions of Morocco in the Group K Qualifiers of the African Cup of Nations AFCON at the 94,736 capacity stadium FNB in Johannesburg with a scintillating 2-1 victory that made the over 95,000 fans roar endlessly as if a world cup has been won.
A silly mistake from Moroccan Goalkeeper misjudging a lob from a corner kick which he parried into his net in the 5th minute opened a laughing account for the Mandela people.
Orlando Pirate forward, Zekhele Lepasa made it two in the 48th minute before Chelsea right winger; Hakim Ziyech scored the consolatory goal in the 60th minute from an Idrissi assist.
Morocco loses World Cup bronze to Croatia, fall 2-1 in 3rd place match
Most stunned was the heroic Qatar World Cup coach of Morocco, 47 year old Walid Regragui who led the North African country to beat highly rated Portugal at the quarterfinals of the world cup. The entire country was in frenzy for beating Morocco one of the best teams in the world and the hilarious South African dance steps started from Johannesburg FNB stadium.
Chadian Ref, Haji Allau Mohamed had to stop the match in the second half when an overzealous fan invaded the pitch while game was on releasing the entire South African Police force and stadium security officials to pursue him as he ran around the field like an Erebus. Erebus was a Greek personification of darkness and shadow.
The last time Bafana Bafana defeated the Atlas Lions in a football match was the 3-1 victory in an AFCON encounter played in 2002. Actually the two teams had met nine times but I have the record of six other encounters with a 1-1 draw on 9th February 2004; a 2-2 draw on 27th July 2013; another 1-1 draw on 11th October 2013 which was the only friendly match but all others are AFCON matches. Morocco won 1-0 on 1st July 2019; defeated South Africa 2-1 on 9th June 2022 and today lost 1-2.
South Africa and Morocco had been reckoned to have qualified for the AFCON finals in Ivory Coast in January because the 4th team in the group, Zimbabwe scratched leaving three teams to contest in the group.
South Africa climbed temporarily to the top of the group with 7 points from 4 matches having won 2 matches drew one and lost one; Morocco is 2nd with 6 points from 3 matches having won 2 matches and lost one while Liberia is 3rd with only a point nipped from a draw after losing 2 other matches. Morocco will host Liberia in group K for their 4th match on 4th of September at 1700 hours.
Morocco were AFCON champions in 1976 at Dire Dawa in Ethiopia where the team defeated Guinea and Nigeria beat Egypt to the Bronze.
I recall that Mudashiru Babatunde Lawal was the revelation at the Ethiopia Games. Morocco making her 19 appearances in that tournament finals won Silver at Tunisia 94 where she lost to Nigeria in the finals and won a Bronze at the National Stadium Lagos in 1980 which I covered sitting in the Radio Commentary box of Nigeria.
South Africa’s first appearance after the apartheid imbroglio was hosting and winning in 1996; becoming Runners-up in 1998 and winning the Bronze in 200o when Nigeria and Ghana co-hosted.
In some other matches played today, Zambia beat Ivory Coast 3-0 in group H; Central African Republic lost at home to Angola 1-2 in group E; Lesotho lost at home to Comoros Islands in group H and Guinea defeated Tunisia in Conakry 1-0 in group J.
Tomorrow Sunday at 1700 hours Nigeria will meet Sierra Leone in a Group A decisive match in Monrovia Liberia where the Liberian President, George Weah is billed to attend..
Eniola Olatunji reporting for Patmos Media Line.
The Author, Eniola Olatunji (Formerly Yomi Kassim) has been in the media for some 46 years with vast experience in Radio Sports Commentaries and Newspaper reporting. He worked as Presenter/Producer on many radio stations and Reporter/Editor in some Newspapers,
#CAFAFCON23Qualifier.
#NFF
