Heavy rain, tense drama, and sharp-tongued commentary made Sunday’s round-of-16 clash between Cameroon and South Africa one of the most talked-about matches of the Africa Cup of Nations so far.
While the teams battled on the pitch, Algerian commentator Hafid Derradji captured the audience’s attention with a running critique that was as entertaining as the match itself.
Cameroon secured a 2–1 victory over South Africa, booking a quarter-final showdown with hosts Morocco next Friday.
Morocco had already advanced after a hard-fought 1–0 win over Tanzania, with the decisive goal coming from the in-form Brahim Díaz.
The stage was set for a blockbuster encounter between two of Africa’s strongest sides.
Despite torrential rainfall, the playing surface remained in excellent condition, allowing both teams to contest the match without interruption.
Derradji marvelled at the pitch, saying, “The rain looks as if it is artificial intelligence in Morocco’s stadiums.”
He added, “When you see the pitch completely unaffected by the rain, you would think this rain is artificial intelligence.” He clarified, “Of course, it is not artificial intelligence, but rather a divine blessing.”
The commentary soon turned to South Africa’s struggles, particularly the performance of Belgian coach Hugo Broos.
During Cameroon’s domination in the second half, Derradji’s sarcasm was relentless: “Move something… move your hands, move your eyes, move your eyebrows. Your team is two goals down.”
South Africa’s players were not spared either. Derradji mocked their inability to respond, saying, “They don’t know how to play… South Africa don’t know how to go forward, don’t know how to attack, don’t know how to defend, don’t know how to stand, don’t know how to do anything.”
He added, “I swear, even if you placed the ball in front of an empty net, with birds chirping in the trees and the rain stopped, you still wouldn’t score.”
Despite Derradji’s biting critique, South Africa did manage to pull a late goal back in the 88th minute, closing the scoreline to 2–1 and nearly forcing a dramatic equaliser in stoppage time.
