AFCONQ: Bafana Bafana test themselves against Morocco
South Africa will have the opportunity to test themselves against one of Africa’s powerhouse teams when they face Morocco in an Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifying match at the FNB Stadium on Saturday 17 June 2023.
Kick-off is at 5pm CAT.
This match will have no bearing on which teams appear at the continental finals in Ivory Coast in early 2024, as both Bafana Bafana and the Atlas Lions have qualified from Group K (with Liberia guaranteed to finish bottom of the three-team log).
Instead, this will serve as important tournament practice for both sides, and will be especially enlightening for the host nation, as they face up to a Morocco team which made history at the 2022 World Cup by reaching the semifinals, thus becoming the first African nation to achieve this feat.
And many of the stars of that brilliant showing in Qatar have been selected for this match against Bafana, as well as a friendly against Cape Verde, including Hakim Ziyech, Achraf Hakimi, Sofyan Amrabat, Yassine Bounou and Youssef En-Nesyri.
“I should not be pleased if I have to motivate the players to play against Morocco – then there’s a big problem,” said South Africa coach Hugo Broos.
“If players are not motivated to play a team like Morocco, then I think it’s better you go home and don’t come to Bafana to play that game.
“This is why you become a professional – to play these games. This is a big game. If you and the team get a positive result, it’s also good for you as a player.
“You must know a lot of people watch these games. It’s interesting to see Morocco, but also to see what the guys of Bafana can do. And that must be enough to motivate the players to play in this game.”
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Morocco coach Walid Regragui notes the workload that many of his players have had to endure through 2022-23 and acknowledges the challenges this presents.
“It’s a difficult month because it’s the end of the season, the players are mentally and physically tired,” said the Atlas Lions boss. “We’re going to try to finish the season as well as possible and continue the good momentum we started at the World Cup.”
In head-to-head terms, South Africa and Morocco have met in eight previous matches. The Atlas Lions have claimed three wins compared to two for Bafana Bafana, while three games have been drawn.
The teams last met in Matchday 1 of these qualifiers a year ago, with Morocco winning 2-1 in Rabat: SA claimed an early lead via Lyle Foster, but the North Africans claimed victory thanks to second-half strikes from En-Nesyri and Ayoub El Kaabi.