I counted myself among the lucky South Africans to have had electricity to watch Bafana Bafana play Morocco on Tuesday night.
My load shedding finished at 10pm.
Sad state of affairs to be counted as lucky to have an energy source to watch your countrymen tackle the rest of the continent, but it is what it is in our beautiful country.
It took me 11 minutes into the tie to realise that maybe those with load shedding got the lucky break.
But as Morocco piled forwards with a sea of red egging them on in the stands, I could feel my national pride swell every time we lived to fight another minute.
What was clear from early on, was that South Africa had to look after their ball and have the patience to build chances rather than go for glory.
As I was thinking that, Teboho Mokoena launched a piledriver from a hit-and-pray position – you know the ones, if they go in you’d wonder for days on end how the hell it was possible. I felt that wasn’t the way to beat these Moroccans, patience was needed. We had to frustrate them and sort of bore them into losing shape or hit them on the counter.
Bafana nearly scored from the resulting corner, still I cried for patience as they neared the final third.
It (taking the glory shot from way out) is something I picked up from the team throughout the tournament – the bits I saw, and especially that man Mokoena.
As long as it’s 0-0 for the first hour or so, I thought. Just don’t break our spirit.
I wanted The boys the Boys or boys are boys (depending on your Zulu to English translation of Bafana Bafana) to play like they did in the 0-0 draw against Tunisia, but with a bit more aggression when they were on the counter.
Boring yes, but winning football – a bit like the Springboks play rugby with their pack of forwards.
Then, a minute before the break Aubrey Modiba slipped and Bayern Leverkusen’s Amine Adli squandered a one-on-one opportunity against Ronwen Williams. Morocco had another shot barely a minute later, while I was still recovering from my heart being in my throat.
By now I was watching the referee – trying to move his whistle to his mouth with my mind to blow for half-time.
My man, who had the “front-to-back-fade”, eventually did so after a scrappy attacking move with SA ended with Mokoena smashing another hopeful long-ranger.
Anyway, it was goalless and my coffee at the break went down well. The plan, my plan, was still being played out.
Azzedine Ounahi then signalled Morocco’s intent straight from the restart with a brilliant run, but couldn’t finish the move as I was still taking my seat and shuffling my laptop to get ready for the half.
When Morocco’s Abde Ezzalzouli then ran down the left touchline and went down in the box, me and the rest of South Africa were holding thumbs that VAR wouldn’t instruct the ref to point to the spot. Luckily he didn’t.
But it was a different Atlas Lions that took the field for the second 45 and we had to hold out.
Then the moment that defined the match. In the 57th minute, Evidence Makgopa got on the end of a through ball and tucked the ball into the back of the net with his left foot.
Makgopa was confused, the commentators were confused – all of them thought it was offside, but it wasn’t. It was 1-0 to South Africa. To me it was a clear goal – the uncertainty spoilt my celebrations a bit though.
Where it started and how it ended… The round of 16. Morocco 🇲![CDATA[]]>🇦 0-2 South Africa 🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦 #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 #AFCON2023 #BafanaPride pic.twitter.com/P2r9aJQN7j
— Bafana Bafana (@BafanaBafana) January 31, 2024
A goal up, but I was worried. My worry stemmed from the fact that I knew Morocco was going to throw caution to the wind and Bafana were in danger of dropping their guard in the final 30 minutes.
They needed fresh heads on the park to concentrate on keeping out the World Cup semi-finalists, I felt.
SA coach Hugo Broos didn’t think so. I trust him though, reckon he does his homework extremely well and knows that you have to vary your game according to your opponents. Different strokes for different folks.
Anyway, Morocco pressed like crazy and as they did, they pushed up my blood pressure as well.
About yesterday… over joyed does not even begin to describe how we feel… #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 #AFCON2023 #BafanaPride pic.twitter.com/JfBOR050VL
— Bafana Bafana (@BafanaBafana) January 31, 2024
But the longer we kept them out, the more their frustration grew and there was always a chance of Bafana getting a second – that would send me to bed with a smile.
Then, with six minutes to go Morocco were handed a penalty after a Mothobi Mvala handball.
Their fans celebrated like crazy when the VAR decision went in their favour.
With their players on their knees praying, Achraf Hakimi stepped up.
But this was Bafana’s night and Hakimi hit the crossbar, much to my relief.
Hulle weet nie wat ons weet nie ! 🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦![CDATA[]]>🙌![CDATA[]]>🏾 https://t.co/vApYPbNxnD
— Bafana Bafana (@BafanaBafana) January 31, 2024
You need a bit of luck along the way to win big tournaments, and yes, my friends, I believe we can go all the way.
We’ve got a coach who realises that sometimes you have to play ugly to win and we’ve got the players who have bought into the plan and are executing it with all they have.
That’s the recipe for a winning team.
Just to put the cherry on top, Mokoena finally had his “screamer” moment when he expertly found the back of the net with a direct free-kick five minutes into stoppage time.
That just proved, when the basics are done well, that moment will come – you don’t have to force it.
Go boys, you’ve already made me proud. Now beat Cape Verde and then go all the way! No pressure.
dudley.carstens@inl.co.za