International Friendly
Full time: Morocco 1-1 South Africa
Date: 11 October 2013
Venue: Agadir Stadium
A first half strike from Tokelo Rantie was cancelled out in the second 45 by Issam EL Adoua as South Africa and Morocco played to a 1-1 draw in an international friendly at the new Agadir Stadium on Friday night.
The opening 45 minutes saw Bafana Bafana playing the better football as they looked hungrier to win the ball and thus dominated the midfield battle early on.
The away side made their intentions clear early on as Daylon Claasen let fly with a long range effort in the second minute which sailed narrowly wide of the target.
Two minutes later and Tokelo Rantie used his pace to get behind the Morocco defence, but his effort on goal from just inside the box was a timid one and easy for the keeper to save.
In the seventh minute the home side had their first chance on goal as El-Arabi met a well-delivered cross, but he saw his header superbly saved by Itumeleng Khune.
In the tenth minute Bafana made their good start pay off, Rantie opening the scoring with a clinical finish after latching onto a Classen through ball, and silencing the home crowd, 1-0.
Thereafter, South Africa continued to dictate the flow of play as Morocco saw very little of the ball.
Just before the half hour mark, Lerato Chabangu was unlucky not to find Bafana’s second goal as he saw his free-kick from roughly 25-yards out well-saved by the keeper.
Morocco did manage to create another chance in the 33rd minute as a rare foray forward saw El Kaddouri break into the Bafana box, but he fired his effort wide of the target.
That seemed to inspire the Moroccan attack and Khune was called in action two minutes later to deny Benatia a thunderous effort from long range.
Bafana still ended the half the stronger of the two sides as Bernard Parker slipped Sibusiso Vilakazi through on goal in the 40th minute, but he fired his effort straight at the keeper when he should really have scored.
The second 45 saw Morocco come out firing and they soon levelled matters, Issam EL Adoua heading home a Younes Belhanda free-kick five minutes after the restart, 1-1.
After that, however, the game became a little dis-jointed with both sides making numerous substitutions.
The next chance on goal came via a 25-yard free-kick that Ayanda Patosi struck for Bafana, but he saw his effort easily saved by the keeper.
Ten minutes later and El Kaddouri almost found the winner for the home side after driving into the box, but he fired his powerful shot agonisingly wide.
The game ended all-square.
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