Bafana Bafana take on Morocco in a crunch Africa Cup of Nations last-16 clash in San Pedro on Tuesday night, seeking to book a quarterfinal clash with Cape Verde. Catch all the action live on SuperSport.
Morocco’s star-studded line-up will be favourites, but if history has taught us anything, it is not to write off South Africa’s chances.
We look at Bafana’s record versus opponents from North Africa down the years, which is mostly favourable, including against Morocco …
ALGERIA
P4 W1 D2 L1 GF4 GA5
The teams’ first meeting was a tense quarterfinal at the 1996 Cup of Nations where Bafana ultimately triumphed 2-1 thanks to goals from Mark Fish and John ‘Shoes’ Moshoeu, a result that perhaps gave them the belief they could go on and lift the title.
They also played to a 1-1 group stage draw in 2000 with Shaun Bartlett opening the score inside two minutes, and a 0-0 friendly draw at the Orlando Stadium in 2013.
Their most recent clash provided a first win for the Algerians as they breezed to a 3-1 success in the pool stages of the 2015 Cup of Nations. Thuso Phala had put Bafana in front in the second half before they capitulated in the final 20 minutes.
EGYPT
P12 W7 D1 L4 GF11 GA8
Their biggest foe down the years from North Africa has been the Pharaohs, with Bafana successful more often than not against one of the best teams on the continent.
South Africa's first ever meeting with Egypt came in the 1995 Four Nations Cup and brought about a 2-0 victory … eventually.
The match was the second to be played at the Independence Stadium in Mmabatho stadium on the day‚ after Zimbabwe v Zambia‚ but the floodlights failed ahead of the fixture.
Egypt went back to their hotel‚ but were persuaded to come back and play the game that kicked off at 22h00!
Shaun Bartlett scored his first goal for Bafana‚ after Helman Mkhlalele had given the side the lead three minutes earlier.
Bafana's only loss at the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations came in their final group game against the Ruud Krol-led Egyptians‚ with an early goal from Ahmed El Kass settling the game.
South Africa had already qualified so they rested a few key players. It was the first time that goalkeeper Andre Arendse had been beaten in a Bafana jersey‚ ending an amazing run of 502 minutes without conceding a goal.
They were looking for back-to-back Nations Cup titles when they met Egypt in the final of the 1998 tournament in Burkina Faso.
Jomo Sono led South Africa on the day against an Egyptian side that included the legendary Ahmed Hassan‚ who scored after just four minutes with a swirling shot that gave Brian Baloyi no chance. Egypt were soon 2-0 up as Tarek Mostafa netted a second.
A Benni McCarthy brace helped South Africa to a 2-1 victory in a friendly international at Soccer City in 1998 that saw John Moeti captain the side.
Egyptian legend Hossam Hassan had given the visitors the lead‚ before McCarthy struck in either half for Trott Moloto's team.
Bafana then beat the 10-men of Egypt in a 2001 friendly as Shaun Bartlett scored the decisive goal just after halftime. Salah Hosni received his marching orders with 15 minutes to go and the home side easily held on for the win.
There was a debut this day for a fresh-faced 21-year-old from Pietermaritzburg‚ Mbulelo Mabizela‚ handed his first international cap by then coach Carlos Queiroz.
McCarthy gave Bafana in the lead in a 2003 friendly international in Cairo‚ but the side were to suffer late heartache as Egypt roared back to win thanks to goals from Medhat Abdelhadi and old foe Hossam Hassan.
Bafana were given false hope with a 2-1 friendly win just before the 2006 Cup of Nations in Egypt‚ after which coach then Ted Dumitru declared that his squad was ready to conquer Africa. They left the tournament with a whimper after no points, and no goals, in their three group games.
Amr Zaki scored an own goal to give Bafana the lead‚ before the Egyptian forward netted at the right end via a penalty. McCarthy netted again just before halftime to restore the lead.
An early Emad Moteab goal gave The Pharaohs 1-0 win in a 2011 friendly played in London, before Katlego Mphela scored the only goal in a 1-0 home win in the 2012 Cup of Nations qualifiers. The teams drew the reverse fixture 0-0 in Cairo.
Mpho Makola gave Bafana a 1-0 home friendly win in 2016, before arguably their biggest victory yet.
Bafana faced hosts Egypt in the second round of the 2019 Cup of Nations and were expected to be cannon-fodder, but surprisingly triumphed 1-0 thanks to a goal from Thembinkosi Lorch five minutes from fulltime to stun the home fans.
LIBYA
P2 W1 D1 L0 GF2 GA1
Bafana have only faced Libya twice – in the qualifiers for the 2019 Cup of Nations finals, which included a tense clash in neutral Sfax, Tunisia.
The first match in Durban finished 0-0, but Bafana headed for the return knowing they had to avoid defeat to qualify.
Percy Tau put them in front early in the second half, but when Ahmad Benali for the hosts, there were jitters in the Bafana camp.
However, Tau was in his pomp for the national team and converted a second with 20 minutes remaining as the visitors triumphed 2-1 and booked their ticket to Egypt.
TUNISIA
P7 W2 D2 L3 GF7 GA9
Tunisia are the only North African side with a positive win-loss ratio over Bafana, though the South Africans will claim they won the game that mattered most.
That was also their first meeting as Bafana triumphed 2-0 in the final of the 1996 Cup of Nations that was played at Soccer City. Mark ‘Nation Builder’ Williams came off the bench to net twice.
They also clashed for the bronze medal at the 2000 Cup of nations, where Bafana triumphed on penalties after a 2-2 draw. Bartlett and Siyabonga Nomvethe netted their goals.
Tunisia got their first win with a 2-0 home success in a friendly in 2003, but Bafana returned to the same venue the following and won by the same scoreline as McCarthy and Tyren Arendse, just six minutes into his debut, scored the goals.
Tunisia also won 2-0 in the pool stages at the 2006 Cup of Nations, and then grabbed a 3-1 victory at the continental finals two years later. Mphela got the Bafana consolation goal.
But Bafana came out on top in their meeting this month at the Cup of Nations in the ivory Coast with a 0-0 draw that booked their place in the last-16 and ousted the North Africans from the competition.
MOROCCO
P8 W3 D3 L2 GF12 GA10
Bafana edge the head-to-head with Morocco 3-2 to go with three draws in their eight previous clashes.
The first was a Cup of Nations quarterfinal in 1998 as Bafana won 2-1 thanks to goals from McCarthy and David Nyathi, which was to be the latter’s only ever international strike.
The teams met again in the 2002 continental finals, this time in the pool stages, and Bafana triumphed once more, claiming a 3-1 success as Sibusiso Zuma, Thabo Mngomeni and Nomvethe all scored within a blistering nine-minute spell either side of halftime.
But that would be Bafana’s last success. In 2004 the teams played to a 1-1 draw in the pool stages of the finals as Patrick Mayo gave Bafana the lead, while there was a 2-2 draw at the continental finals South Africa hosted in 2013 as May Mahlangu and Siyabonga Sangweni netted.
Later that year they played to a 1-1 friendly draw in Agadir which saw Tokelo Rantie score early for Bafana, before Morocco finally claimed a win over South Africa in a senior international fixture.
They also got a 1-0 success in the pool stages of the 2019 Cup of Nations in Egypt, before the teams met twice in the qualifiers for this Cup of Nations.
Morocco won 2-1 at home despite Lyle Foster giving Bafana an early lead, before South Africa claimed the reverse fixture by the same scoreline in Soweto.
An own goal from second-choice Morocco goalkeeper Munir Mohamedi and a second half strike from Zakhele Lepasa sealed the victory.