South Africa and Mali see off Morocco and Burkina Faso to reach last eight
South Africa scored two second-half goals on Tuesday night in San Pedro to remove favourites Morocco from the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations after Mali beat Burkina Faso to reach the last eight for the first time in a decade.
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Evidence Makgopa opened the scoring in the 57th minute for South Africa at the Stade Laurent Pokou.
The 23-year-old Orlando Pirates striker latched on to Themba Zwane's defence-splitting pass and coolly slotted the ball under the Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
The shock spurred Morocco into a response but they could not break down the obdurate South Africa back line.
However, they were offered a chance in the 83rd minute when Mothobi Mvala was penalised for stopping Ayoub El Kaabi’s shot with his arm in the penalty area.
Achraf Hakimi stepped up but his spot kick hit the cross bar and went out for a goal-kick.
As Africa's top ranked team looked for an equaliser, they left themselves open to South African counters and their task was further complicated when midfielder Sofyan Amrabat was sent off in injury-time for a crude lunge on Teboho Mokoena as he tried to break through.
From the resulting free-kick, Mokoena punished Amrabat's belligerence with a sumptuous strike over the Moroccan wall and into the top right hand corner of Bounou's goal.
South Africa will play Cape Verde on Saturday in the quarter-final in Yamoussoukro.
Mali success
In the early evening game in Korhogo, Mali saw off a late fightback from Burkina Faso to move into the last eight for the first time since 2013 with a 2-1 victory.
An own-goal from Edmond Tapsoba in the third minute and Lassine Sinayoko's strike just after the pause offered Mali a two-goal cushion but in the 53rd minute Kiki Kouyaté was adjudged to have handled the ball in the penalty area.
Burkina Faso skipper Bertrand Traoré scored from the resulting penalty to halve the deficit.
Though they pressed for parity, Burkina Faso could not level.
Burkina Faso coach Hubert Velud was munificent in defeat.
“I honestly have no one to blame," said the 64-year-old Frenchman.
"We lost against a better side. I was not surprised by the quality of this Mali team and we credit them.
“We will digest this defeat," Velud added. "We have to review and analyze the good and the bad during our time here."
Mali will take on hosts Cote d'ivoire in Bouaké on Saturday for a place in the last four.
“We need to be humble in our victory and continue with hard work," said the Mali coach Eric Chelle.
"I am very happy for the players. They deserve the victory because they are a group of hard workers. I think victory was well deserved but the lesson learnt is that 2-0 can be a dangerous score against a determined team."
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