Reinstated Morocco head coach Walid Regragui has stressed that his side do not fear Bafana Bafana ahead of their crunch match on Tuesday night.
The two nations are set to clash in a much-anticipated round of 16 tie as the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations rapidly approaches it climax.
Read: 'The desire is to take revenge on Bafana'
Regragui had initially been suspended for four matches (two of which were suspended for a period of one year) after a bust-up with DR Congo captain Chancel Mbemba earlier in the tournament. He was absent from his side's 1-0 victory over Zambia in their final group-stage game, and was set to miss out against South Africa too.
However, his suspension was lifted altogether by CAF's Appeal Board after the Royal Moroccan Football Federation appealed the initial decision on the matter, resulting in it being partially overturned.
Speaking before his return to the sideline against Bafana, Regragui stated that his side "respects, but does not fear" their round of 16 opponents.
"After the group stage, the competition is completely different. There is no room for mistakes, as any negative result will remove us from the competition. We are excited to qualify for the quarter-finals," he said, per Moroccan outlet Rue20.
"We must be humble. We will rely on our qualifications to reach the quarter-finals. It will be a very difficult match."
When the two national sides last met, it was in an AFCON 2023 qualifier at the FNB Stadium in June last year. Bafana emerged as victors, winning the tie 2-1. In doing so, they became the only team to defeat the Atlas Lions since their historic 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign in Qatar.
Regragui, though, insisted that it will be a different Morocco side this time around.
"I don't want to look at the past. We have great respect for the South African national team. They are the only team to beat us after the World Cup. [On Tuesday night] they will face a different team than the one they faced last June," the 48-year-old added.
Read: Africa's star of the weekend: The flying Congolese!
Shifting his attention to the South African side who placed second in Group E despite suffering a 2-0 loss to Mali in their tournament opener, Regragui highlighted what he believes to be the group's main source of strength.
"The South African national team has many players who play in the same club (Mamelodi Sundowns). They are characterised by harmony among themselves and work with each other daily. This is what constitutes the strength of this team," he continued.
"The most important thing is to create opportunities in front of the opponent's goal. We have to be more effective and avoid making mistakes defensively."
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