Morocco top Group D after late Boussoufa winner sees off South Africa
![](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/kzXVYfE5h65Li6TukGnHTU.jpg)
Mbark Boussoufa struck as Morocco clinched top spot in Group D at the African Cup of Nations with a late 1-0 win over South Africa.
The Al-Shabab forward won it in stoppage time at the Al-Salam Stadium in Cairo on Monday.
Achraf Hakimi hit the crossbar for Morocco while Youssef En-Nesyri also missed a fine chance before Boussoufa pounced, which left South Africa’s hopes of qualifying from the group in the balance.
Percy Tau shot wide for South Africa midway through the first half before Morocco took control of a dull game after the break.
The 1976 winners almost went ahead after 64 minutes when Hakimi’s 25-yard strike rattled the underside of the bar.
Five minutes later, Morocco should have broken the deadlock only for En-Nesyri to miss a golden chance when he shot wide after rounding Ronwen Williams.
En-Nesyri also headed straight at Williams before Boussoufa fired in an 90th-minute winner after South Africa failed to clear a free kick.
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
FourFourTwo was launched in 1994 on the back of a World Cup that England hadn’t even qualified for. It was an act of madness… but it somehow worked out. Our mission is to offer our intelligent, international audience access to the game’s biggest names, insightful analysis... and a bit of a giggle. We unashamedly love this game and we hope that our coverage reflects that.
![Arne Slot head coach of Liverpool during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Manchester City FC at Anfield on December 01, 2024 in Liverpool, England.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/3xTbkGtr7hRGpxxB4hofcg-840-80.jpg)
‘Slot hasn’t come in and changed everything, making it all about himself – it’s been about the players he’s inherited, getting the best out of a system he likes’: Liverpool manager impressing former players with personality and tactical approach
![LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 20: (THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Mohamed Salah of Liverpool celebrating after scoring the opening goal during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Chelsea FC at Anfield on October 20, 2024 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Y6uSyarD69cTjYZM7M4Z33-840-80.jpg)
‘We thought we’d signed him, but Chelsea blew us away. I think they signed him so we couldn’t have him, as much as because they really wanted him’: Liverpool actually failed to sign Mohamed Salah in 2014, three years before finally getting the Egyptian