South Africa’s midfielder Teboho Mokoena remains hopeful for success in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), believing that his team can surpass the quarterfinals. This optimism follows their surprising 2-0 victory over Morocco, propelling them into the last eight where they are set to face Cape Verde.

Despite claiming the tournament’s title in 1996 and securing a runner-up position two years later, South Africa has faced varied performances in recent editions. The team has secured a bronze medal once, reached the quarterfinals four times, and failed to advance from the group stages on four occasions. In the 2019 tournament, South Africa was halted at the quarterfinal stage.

Mokoena expressed to the media that in the current unpredictable landscape of the tournament, with the top five African teams already out, the potential winner remains uncertain. He emphasized the need for a focused, one-game-at-a-time approach, highlighting the team’s familiarity with reaching the quarterfinals and their collective goal to push further.

“Honestly, the expectation from us is to take it one game at a time, because this tournament, we all can see, nobody can say who’s going to win it. So the top five teams in Africa are all out,” Mokoena explained. “So it’s up to us or the other teams to take the trophy and in 2019, we reached the quarter-finals. So it’s not a surprise to South Africans, the quarterfinals are not new to us.”

He added, “So we must take it a step higher because we need to take the national team to a better place than we found it, so yeah, that’s our aim and goal as a team, so yeah, we will see.”

Mokoena’s words reflect South Africa’s determination to elevate their performance and make a meaningful impact at AFCON 2023. With an eye on success, the team is prepared to navigate the competition’s challenges and seize their opportunity for a triumphant campaign.