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Published 11:05 IST, January 31st 2024

South Africa takes Ronaldo's revenge: SA players eliminate Morocco from AFCON, do CR7's celebration

South Africa beat Morocco 2-0 in AFCON's Round of 16, advancing to the quarter-finals. Teboho Mokoena imitated Ronaldo's celebration, causing a stir.

Reported by: Aryan Suraj Chadha
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Cristiano Ronaldo's sleep celebration
Cristiano Ronaldo's sleep celebration | Image: X/screengrab

 South Africa secured a 2-0 victory against Morocco in the Africa Cup of Nations' Round of 16. Evidence Makgopa and Teboho Mokoena scored key goals in the 57th and 90+5th minutes, respectively. The match was intense, with South Africa showcasing efficiency with only 5 shots, 3 of which were on target. Morocco's Sofyan Amrabat received a red card in the 90+4th minute. The Stade de San Pédro witnessed an eventful game, marking South Africa's advancement in the tournament.  

3 things you need to know 

  • South Africa beat Morocco 2-0 in the RO16 of the AFCON
  • Teboho Mokoena scored the second goal of the match 
  • South Africa have qualified for the quarter-finals of the competition 

Also Read: Cape Verde into Africa Cup quarterfinals after late penalty

Taking a jab at Morocco, Teboho Mokoena does a CR7 celebration as Vinicius appears to be having fun. 

Vinicius Junior's tweet, which was reminiscent of Cristiano Ronaldo, caused quite a stir on social media and showed how much he was enjoying the current AFCON competition. With a message that went viral among supporters all around the world, the Real Madrid No. 7 demonstrated his knowledge of the occasion.

The 1996 African champions pulled off a stunning upset by upsetting the Atlas Lions in South Africa's thrilling 2023 AFCON round of 16 encounter against Morocco, earning a much-needed ticket in the quarterfinals. Hugo Broos' team eliminated the 2022 World Cup semifinalists, continuing their pattern of exceeding expectations even as the underdogs.

Morocco's participation in the competition came to an end with the game's pivotal goals, scored in the second half by Evidence Makgopa and Teboho Mokoena. But what went viral online was Mokoena's celebration, which mimicked Cristiano Ronaldo's famous "sleep" celebration following his incredible free-kick goal.

Also Read: 'Indian football in a mess': Bhutia demands AIFF President's resignation

Photographers at Laurent Pokou Stadium in San Pedro were drawn to Mokoena's tribute to Ronaldo's trademark celebration, which he performed with his teammates. The moment generated a rush of photographs on social media. Many claimed that the South African star took revenge for the Portuguese star, who was knocked out by Morocco in the quarterfinals of the FIFA World Cup 2022, which was one of the biggest football heartbreaks for Cristiano Ronaldo.

In response to the viral photos, Vinicius, who currently dons Ronaldo's legendary No. 7 jersey at Real Madrid, expressed his admiration for the now Al-Nassr captain. Initially writing in Spanish, "We all love CR7," the Brazilian winger later deleted his post, leaving followers on X (formerly Twitter) puzzled.

Updated 14:46 IST, January 31st 2024