A stunning upset unfolded in San Pedro, Ivory Coast, as South Africa sent pre-tournament favorite Morocco crashing out of the 2023 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations with a 2-0 victory. The Bafana Bafana, ranked a lowly 73rd in the world coming into the tournament, defied the odds to dethrone the CAF number one team and book their place in the quarterfinals. South Africa's journey in the tournament started with a disappointing 2-0 defeat against Mali in their opening match. However, they roared back with a resounding 4-0 win over Namibia and a gritty 0-0 draw against Tunisia to secure their second-place finish in Group B. Morocco, boasting a star-studded lineup and fresh off their 2022 World Cup semi-final run, were heavily favored to progress. Yet, they struggled to break down the disciplined South African defense, recording no attempts on target in the first half. The second half saw Evidence Makgopa break the deadlock for South Africa in the 57th minute. The striker expertly slotted the ball past Morocco goalkeeper Bono after being set up by Themba Zwane, sending the Bafana Bafana faithful into raptures. Morocco's responded with sustained pressure, and they were awarded a penalty in the 84th minute following a VAR intervention. However, PSG defender Achraf Hakimi sent the spot-kick crashing against the woodwork, much to the dismay of the Moroccan supporters. Adding to Morocco's woes, Sofyan Ambrat received a red card in the dying minutes for a last-man challenge on Teboho Mokoena. The dismissal, initially a yellow card, was upgraded to a straight red after another VAR intervention. Mokoena converted the resulting free-kick with aplomb, putting the icing on the cake for South Africa and sealing their 2-0 victory. With Morocco's elimination, all quarterfinalists in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations will be different from those in the 2021 edition. South Africa will now face Cape Verde in the last eight.