Staff Reporter.
The South African U17 team began their U17 Africa Cup of Nations campaign with a disappointing 2-0 loss against Morocco at the Stade Mohamed-Hamlaou on Sunday night.
With the victory, Morocco have moved top of Group B ahead of Nigeria with a better goal aggregate.
The Young Bafana Bafana would feel undone by the result having conceded from a penalty and the second after the keeper clashed with his own defender as he went for a cross.
South Africa had the biggest share of chances, in a tight and closely contested tie.
Mamelodi Sundowns starlet Siyabonga Mabena was causing all sorts of problems for Morocco with his mazy runs and trickery on the ball and it is off his feet that South Africa had all their scoring chances.
In the seventh minute he had a sniff at goal with a swinging volley off a cross on the left, but the effort flew over the bar. Three minutes later he dribbled his way to the edge of the box, but his final shot didn’t gather enough pace to trouble the keeper.
In the 33rd minute, Mabena did all the dirty work, dribbling from deep to slot in a low cross into the area, but Dutch based forward Michael Dokunmu slipped just as he prepared to pull the trigger.
In the second half, Morocco tidied up their act and were more organised. They got ahead in the 72nd minute when Abdelhamid Ait Bouldal converted a cool penalty after his opposite number Benjamin Wallis handled a cross from Abdel Hamid Maali.
The goal gave them much of the confidence they needed and they were 2-0 up with three minutes of regulation time left when Adam Hanin shot into an empty net after the South Africa keeper collided with his defender as he went up to collect a cross.
The Moroccans will next face off with Nigeria in a top of Group B clash.
Meanwhile Favour Daniel’s goal in the second half handed Nigeria a positive start at the U17 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), Algeria 2023, after seeing off Zambia 1-0 at the Mohamed Hamloui Stadium in Constantine on Sunday.