Sports Reporter
South Africa’s Africa Cup of Nations run ended in the last 16 on Sunday as defensive lapses and missed early chances handed Cameroon a 2-1 win in Rabat.
But coach Hugo Broos insisted the team was not regressing, and attributed the defeat to paying the price for squandered opportunities.
Bafana started brightly at Stade El Barid, with Lyle Foster glancing a second-minute header wide and teenager Relebogile Mofokeng failing to hit the target after breaking clear, but Cameroon struck first when fullback Junior Tchamadeu finished from close range in the 34th minute.
The five-time champions doubled their lead two minutes after halftime when 19-year-old Christian Kofane headed in at the back post, and South Africa spent the closing stages camped in the Cameroon half before substitute Evidence Makgopa bundled in from close range in the 88th minute.
Cameroon goalkeeper Devis Epassy and his defence held on through stoppage time.
South Africa dominated the ball and created more openings, finishing with 66% possession and 18 attempts on goal, but they managed only four shots on target.
Broos, who won the 2017 AFCON title with Cameroon, said he did not believe South Africa were “going backwards” despite falling short of their 2024 bronze-medal finish.
“When you miss chances at this level, you pay the bill later, and we paid the bill,” he told ESPN, adding that the team would evaluate quickly, with the World Cup in six months.
Cameroon will face hosts Morocco in the quarter-finals on Friday.
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