Themba Zwane and coach Hugo Bruce celebrate after Bafana Bafana secured a place in the last 16 on Wednesday.
- Bafana Bafana will face Morocco in the last 16 of the African Cup of Nations on Tuesday.
- This will be the 10th time the two countries have faced each other since their first meeting in 1998.
- Bafana manager Hugo Bruce has been in charge of 26 games and has a winning percentage of 50%. Walid Reglagui has averaged 57.14% in 21 games as Morocco coach.
- For more information on Afcon news, please click here. News24's Africa Cup of Nations Zone.
Bafana Bafana are preparing for their long-awaited African Cup of Nations last-16 clash against Morocco, scheduled for Tuesday at the Laurent Pokuu Stadium in San Pedro.
Kick-off is 22:00 (SA time).
The upcoming clash between Bafana and Atlas Lions will be the 10th meeting between the two sides, and the sixth in the continent's marquee match.
Read | Bafana Bafana vs Morocco: Afcon's two worst performers go head-to-head
In a football story of passion and drama, Bafana first met Morocco in February 1998 in the captivating Afcon quarter-finals in Burkina Faso.
Young Benny McCarthy set the scoreboard on fire with a superb shot in the 21st minute, before North African international Saud Chiba responded with a spirited response just 14 minutes later.
Bafana Bafana v Morocco: Match
February 22, 1998: South Africa 2-1 Morocco – Afcon Quarterfinals
January 30, 2002: Morocco 1-3 South Africa – Afcon Group B
September 19, 2002: Morocco 0-0 South Africa – Internationally Friendly
February 4, 2004: Morocco 1-1 South Africa – Afcon Group D
January 27, 2013: Morocco 2-2 South Africa – Afcon Group A
October 11, 2013: Morocco 1-1 South Africa – Internationally Friendly
July 1, 2019: South Africa 0-1 Morocco – Afcon Group D
June 9, 2022: Morocco 2-1 South Africa – Afcon Qualifiers
June 17, 2023 South Africa 2-1 Morocco – Afcon Qualifiers
However, it was David Nyati who scored the decisive goal and cemented South Africa's name in victory.
Four years later, the two countries would meet again in Mali for the 2002 tournament.
Sibusiso Zuma grabbed attention with his opening goal three minutes before half-time. In the second act, Thabi Mgomeni and Siyabonga Nombete added a chapter to the story with late goals.
Morocco tried to fight back with Rachid Benmahmoud's penalty in the 77th minute, but Bafana held on and won decisively 3-1.
Number of matches: 9
Bafana Bafana: 3 wins, 3 draws, 3 losses
Morocco: 3 wins, 3 draws, 3 losses
Goals: Bafana (GF: 12, GA: 10), Morocco (GF: 10, GA: 9)
Over the next 21 years and seven meetings, Morocco asserted their dominance, a testament to their excellence on the field.
A notable example is the game in Egypt in 2019, when Stuart Baxter's charge cost them a group stage exit.
In last year's Afcon final qualifier held at FNB Stadium, Bafana achieved a stunning 2-1 victory over Morocco.
The result meant South Africa could pull off an upset, although qualification was not affected as both countries had already booked their spots in this year's tournament.
Walid Reglagui: Moroccan records
Number of matches: 21 (W12, D6, L3)
Number of points: 33
Number of goals conceded: 11
Win rate: 57.14%
However, Bafana will now face Morocco, a side that will be difficult to overcome under coach Walid Reglagui.
The 48-year-old has played 21 games, with 12 wins, six draws and three losses, for a winning percentage of 57.14%.
His last loss was to opponent Hugo Bruce on Tuesday night and he is currently on an eight-game unbeaten streak.
Morocco fact file:
Ranking: 1 Africa, 13 World
Key player: Achraf Hakimi
Coach: Walid Reglagi
Number of past appearances: 18 times
Grand Prize: Champions 1976
Nickname: Atlas Lions
Bruce, 71, led Bafana to a 530-day unbeaten run in last year's World Cup qualifiers against lower-ranked Rwanda.
Bruce has managed 26 matches, with his 27th match marking his 1000th day as Bafana manager since replacing Molefi Ntseki on May 5, 2021.
The Blues have a winning percentage of 50% with 13 wins, 8 draws, and 5 losses.
Hugo Bruce: Bafana Records
Match: 26 (W13, D8, L5)
Number of points: 32
Number of goals conceded: 23
Win rate: 50%
It's been 28 years since Bafana last tasted Afcon glory, and 48 years in Morocco.
However, Bruce was the only one to win a gold medal from Afcon. He led Cameroon to the 2017 tournament.
bafana fact file
Ranking: 12th in Africa, 66th in the world
Key Player: Percy Tau
Coach: Hugo Bruce (BEL)
Past appearances: 10 times
Grand Prize: Champions 1996
Nickname: Bafana Bafana (The Boys)
Both countries want to end their trophy drought.
The winner will face either high-flying Cape Verde or Mauritania in the semi-finals on Saturday (22:00).