Bafana Bafana lost 2-1 against Morocco in Rabat despite an early goal scored by Lyle Foster.
The fixture came to life when Sphephelo “Yaya” Sithole sent a perfect pass towards Foster, who was quicker than the high line of the Morocco defence and scored with a well-drilled low drive in the sixth minute.
Four minutes later Tarik Tissoudali ballooned a chance over the bar from inside the box the box for the home side.
Ronwen Williams then produced a brilliant save to keep out Youssef En-Nesyri in the 15th minute and again made another save when En-Nesyri curled in a shot just a minute later in quick succession.
Tissoudali again had a chance in the 18th minute but mistimed his chance to the right of the upright. Aymane Barkok found some space in the box but directed his shot straight towards Williams seven minutes later.
Achraf Hakimi created a good cross from the right but En-Nesyri was too late to finish off the move in the 27th minute, as Morocco continued to pile on the pressure.
In the 31st minute a shot by Selim Amallah from outside of the big box was easily saved by Williams. Ilias Chair then had a shot, which was tipped to the right for a corner four minutes later.
Hakimi once again combined with the inside man and created a chance for En-Nesyri but the shot of the Sevilla striker was blocked by Thibang Phete from point blank range in the 36th minute.
Williams was then impeded in the 39th minute whilst clearing his lines, with the ball ending up in the Bafana goal but the referee had blown his whistle.
Hakimi had a shot saved by Williams on the brink of half-time and despite all the Morocco pressure, Bafana carried their slender lead into the break.
Early in the second half Morocco had a shout for a hand ball in the South African penalty box, but the referee waved play on. But it was the Atlas Lions who eventually equalised when a ball was floated in the box by Sofian Amrabat, knocked down by Romain Saiss and finished by En-Nesyri, levelling the tie.
Most of the Morrocan attacks came down the right hand side though Hakimi, who created another chance but Tissoudali was too slow to get to it in the 54th minute.
A set-piece was launched into the box by Morocco but Saiss’ header was wide in the 64th minute.
Bafana Bafana had a rare chance at goal in the 72nd minute but they lost the ball in the opposition box. Four minutes later, Williams made another brilliant save to deny the Morrocans the lead and right after Yusuf Maart on the counter attack struck a shot way over the goals in minute 76.
In the 82nd minute, substitute Amine Harit riggled his way through the Bafana defence but his shot from just outside the box narrowly missed the left upright, shaving it close.
In the 88th minute, Morocco eventually scored the winner after Yusuf Maart lost the ball in midfieldevand a cross by Harit was converted by Ayoub El Kaabi.
Bafana continue their AFCON 2023 qualifiers with a double-head against Liberia in September.
