South Africa gear up to face mighty Morocco
South Africa will be making their bid to qualify for the quarterfinals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) when they go up against Morocco in their Round of 16 tie at the San Pedro Stadium on today.
Bafana Bafana faced a loss in their opener against Mali but redeemed themselves with a stunning performance against Namibia, where they won 4-0.
They played to a goalless draw against Tunisia and ultimately secured their qualification for the Round of 16 by finishing second in Group E.
The Atlas Lions started off their Afcon campaign on a winning note, comfortably beating Tanzania 3-0.
Their next match in Group F saw them draw 1-1 with Congo, who have just registered their spot in the quarterfinals. Their final group match ended with a 1-0 win over Zambia.
TEAM NEWS
Morocco’s head coach, Walid Regragui, will return to the touchline after his two-match suspension was lifted following an appeal.
Hakim Ziyech is a doubt for Morocco after suffering an ankle injury against Zambia. The winger sat on the bench with an ice pack on his ankle as he was taken off and it remains to be seen whether he will recover in time for the clash.
South Africa was concerned about Khuliso Mudau’s fitness after being forced off at halftime against Tunisia due to an ankle injury. However, he is making good progress in his recovery and may feature.
Hugo Broos, Bafana Bafana’s head coach, is also optimistic that Mothobi Mvala will be available after receiving a knock in the same match.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
The fixture is evenly balanced as Morocco have won three times in their encounters and South Africa have also won the same amount of times. The nations have played to a draw three times as well.
Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos believes that if they can beat Morocco, the team will have a path to the final of the tournament.
Atlas Lions head coach Walid Regragui is targeting a win and hopes his nation will get their hands on the Afcon trophy since they had a solid run in the 2022 World Cup, making it to the semifinal.
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Burkina Faso face off with Mali
Burkina Faso head coach Hubert Velud believes the Stallions are in for a tough evening when they face Mali in a crucial Round of 16 tie at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, with the game set to commence at the Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium on Tuesday night.
Mali head into their next game on the back of a 0-0 draw against Namibia, as Brave Warriors coach Collin Benjamin conducted a defensive masterclass against Eric Chelle at Stade Laurent Pokou on the 24th of January. The stalemate saw Mali top Group E ahead of their Round of 16 qualification.
Burkina Faso on the other hand finished second in Group D after their 2-0 defeat against Angola at Stade Charles Konan Banny de Yamoussoukro on the 23rd of January. The Stallions claimed a 1-0 win over Mauritania in their opening game at the tournament, while a 2-2 draw against Algeria saw them accumulate enough points to advance to the Round of 16.
HEAD-TO-HEAD:
Mali have the clear upper hand against Burkina Faso going into their Round of 16 clash against the Stallions. In the last five matches played in all competitions, the Eagles managed to claim four wins with one draw played during this period.
TEAM NEWS
Both Mali and Burkina Faso reported no injury concerns ahead of their all-important Round of 16 clash in Korhogo and are expected to field their strongest starting XIs.
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Egypt coach not drawn on future after shock loss
Egypt coach Rui Vitoria would not be drawn on his future after his side’s disappointing last-16 exit at the Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday, blaming bad luck for the record seven-winners going home early.
The Pharaohs were beaten by DR Congo 8-7 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in which neither side created many clear-cut chances and Egypt finished with 10 men following the second-off of Mohamed Hamdy in extra-time.
Egypt depart the Ivory Coast without having won a game. It was a fourth draw in a row for them at the Cup of Nations, and a sixth in succession dating back to the last tournament in Cameroon, as well as and a fifth extra-time in a row in knockout games.
Their inability to kill off weaker teams has been a real Achilles heel, not helped by an injury to talismanic forward Mo Salah in their second pool game.
“This is not the time for hasty decisions; we will think before any decision,” Portuguese coach Vitoria said when asked about his future. “This is not the end; we did not expect the defeat. Bad luck was the reason for Egypt’s loss against the DR of Congo.
“The players were very good, and this is football – it has both happy and sad times.
“We prepared this team for the Africa Cup of Nations, but there are times when you put in all your effort and the result is not as expected. We need to look at our future goals.”
After no continental title since 2010, Vitoria dismissed any notion that the Egyptian’s aura had slipped.
“We cannot be like that; history proves that Egypt is a very big team, but it has undergone many changes,” he said. “We need to set the foundations and be better in the future.”
Meanwhile, former national team defender Wael Gomaa has lashed out at Vitoria and put the blame for their failure squarely on his shoulders.
“Since the beginning of the tournament, I have said that we have a very good team,” Gomaa told reporters. “The current team’s average age and capabilities qualify us to win the title. All the positions have good players.
“We suffered from mishandling by Rui Vitoria, who is responsible for the players. He brought out the worst in them and did not help them to perform well.
“Unfortunately, it’s the worst football I have seen from the Egyptian national team in my life. How could you qualify with four draws? We couldn’t win any match. His changes were pointless, player after player, there was no creativity in dealing with the game.
“Our path to the final was the easiest. If we had won, we would have faced Guinea. But we hired a coach to teach him about Africa. We brought in a coach to teach him how to deal with African football.
“A major loss and Egypt’s name does not deserve that. Everyone involved in this farce must be held accountable.”
Credit: supersport.com
