Bafana Bafana suffered a 1-0 defeat to Morocco on Monday evening as their hopes of reaching the knockout stages of the Africa Cup of Nations suffered a blow.
Coach Stuart Baxter rang the changes as Ronwen Williams, Kamohelo Mokotjo and Thulani Serero came into the starting line-up.
There was very little goal-mouth action in the opening half-an-hour as both teams struggled in the final third.
With that said, Bafana came close in the 34th minute as Thulani Serero combined well with Percy Tau on the edge of the box before the Brighton man fired just wide.
The North Africans came close to responding soon after as Younes Belhanda sent in a volley on target after a goal-mouth scramble which Ronwen Williams easily saved.
In the second stanza, Youssef En-Nesyri headed wide from a cross before Achraf Hakimi’s strike hit the woodwork with Williams well beaten.
The South Africans were rocking and rolling at the back as En-Nesyri went through on goal, rounded the goalkeeper but fired wide with Bafana in panic stations.
The SA side were clearly hanging on for a point but were undone in the closing stages. Stuart Baxter’s men failed to clear a free-kick from the left and Mubarak Boussoufa poked home after a good first touch in the area.
Bafana now need to rely on other results if they are to reach the knockout stages as a best third-placed finisher.