WATCH: The whole South African squad does Cristiano Ronaldo’s celebration after knocking Morocco out of AFCON

The final game of the AFCON Round of 16 saw Morocco go out to underdogs South Africa. It's safe to say they had a celebration worthy of the occasion.

WATCH: The whole South African squad does Cristiano Ronaldo’s celebration after knocking Morocco out of AFCON

South African players hitting Ronaldo's celebration against Morocco (Via X/@Trujista)

AFCON is shaping up to be one of the most thrilling tournaments in recent times. As the Round of 16 comes to an eventful finale, Morocco was stunned by South Africa as the ‘underdogs’ managed a 2-0 win on the night. Adding to the upset was the manner of celebration chosen by the South African squad. In a clip that has gone viral, the South African players are seen imitating an iconic Cristiano Ronaldo celebration.

AFCON’s final Round of 16 match featured World Cup semi-finalists Morocco going up against 64th-ranked South Africa. In a bizarre turn of events, South Africa took the lead through an Evidence Makgopa strike. Morocco had the chance to get back into the match in the 84th minute when the referee awarded them a penalty. However, Achraf Hakimi missed the crucial kick, and shortly afterward, Sofyan Amrabat was sent off.

As South Africa netted a late free-kick to kill Moroccan dreams, the entire squad pulled out an iconic Ronaldo celebration. The players rushed to the camera placed their hands on their chests, closed their eyes, and looked up in prayer. The same was debuted by Cristiano Ronaldo during his time at Manchester United. The AFCON quarter-finals kick-off on the 2nd of February.

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What to expect from the AFCON quarter-finals

As AFCON enters its ‘business end’, teams will go all out to secure the coveted trophy come 12th February. The Round of 16 saw a significant number of upsets, with reigning champions Senegal, Morocco, and frontrunners Egypt being knocked out. With just two days left before the competition resumes, here’s a look at how the teams will face off in the quarter-finals.

Mali
Mali are one of the surprising teams to make it to the final 8 of AFCON (Via X/@brfootball)

With several frontrunners out of the competition, Nigeria hold a significant chance of lifting the title. Victor Osimhen and co. sent Cameroon home to book their spot in the final 8. They are up against Angola in the first game of the quarter-finals. Cape Verde will face surprise entrants South Africa, who made light work of heavyweights Morocco. The former beat Egypt and Ghana to top Group B.

The other two matches feature DR Congo facing off against Guinea and Mali taking on tournament hosts Ivory Coast. While DR Congo qualified for the final 8 without a single win in regular time, Ivory Coast defeated Senegal on penalties. With no clear pattern of a favorite in sight, the final stages will certainly be witness to some of the most iconic moments in the competition.

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