Brave but outclassed Bafana slip up against Morocco in Afcon qualifier

Morocco came back from a goal down to beat Bafana Bafana 2-1 in their 2023 African Cup of Nations qualifier at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat on Thursday.

RECAP | Bafana Bafana 2-1 Morocco

Bafana scored first in their Group K encounter through Lyle Foster in the eighth minute, but goals from Youssef En-Neysri in the 51st-minute and Ayoub El-Kaabi in the 87th-minute sealed the comeback from the hosts.

The Atlas Lions were the better side and deserved to win, while Bafana Bafana, who were tactically and technically deficient, was denied a point they didn't deserve.

It wasn't the France-type miss-match, but there was a difference in class, and it showed throughout the game in Rabat

Morocco having more than 60 percent of the possession was indicative of their dominance of the game that they should have won.

However, Ronwen Williams's excellence kept Bafana's head above water in the first half and by extent, the game as he was an immovable object.

There wasn't much he could do to keep out En-Nesyri's header, but he had kept out two of the striker's excellent attempts in the first half.

Those chances came in the 16th and 17th-minutes when Williams's reflexes kept out En-Nesyri's header and left-footed shot.

That wasn't all.

He kept out Ilias Chair's shot in the 35th-minute while saving his best for last in the first half with his fine palming of an Hakim Ziyech chance.

All this helter-skelter attacking from the Atlas Lions was in response to a shock opener from Foster, who latched onto a superb Siphephelo Sithole pass.

The burly striker shrugged off Achraf Hakimi's weak tackle and bulleted a shot past Yassine Bounou. It stunned the red-clad crowd into silence.

However, they found their voice with wave after wave of attack,