Bafana Bafana will go into their final group game of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations against Morocco on Sunday in Durban, with the knowledge that a draw will be enough to secure their passage to the knockout stage of the tournament for the first time since 2002 after they failed to do so in 2004, 2006 and 2008 appearances at the tournament.

Such is Bafana Bafana’s position after their win over Angola that even a loss against the Atlas Lions might not eliminate them provided the game between Angola and Cape Verde ends in a draw or a victory for Angola.

On the verge of turning around the upsets of recent Nations Cups, Bafana will not be looking to take chances, in Morocco they find an opponent bursting with an abundance of talent with a large core of players being drafted in from their diaspora from countries like France and the Netherlands although their Inter Milan bound play maker Younes Belhanda is suspended for the game.

South Africa have faced Morocco previously back in the 1998 tournament - Amakhosi goalkeeper Brian Baloyi was in goal when Benni McCcarthy and David Nyathi who joined Chiefs in 1999 scored to give Bafana Bafana a 2-1 win in the last quarter-finals.

In 2002 Bafana Bafana turned on the style, needing a win in their final group game against Morocco after two previous goalless draws against Burkina Faso and Ghana, they cruised to victory with a 3-1 triumph spearheaded by Siyabonga Nomvethe who a few months earlier left Chiefs for Italian Serie A side Udinese.

Nomvethe, Sibusio Zuma and Thabo Mngomeni were on target as South Africa won the game and progressed to the knockout rounds with a 3-1 win, Bafana last faced Morocco at the 2004 tournament also in their final group game.

Mathematically Bafana could still have progressed beyond the group stage but after a 4-0 loss to Nigeria in their previous game, they were out of the tournament. Another former Chiefs player Patrick Mayo opened the scoring in the 29th minute, Morocco equalized nine minutes later with Safri converting a penalty.

Prior to Lehlohonolo Majoro scoring against Angola, Mayo’s goal in 2004 was the last one scored by a Chiefs player at the Nations Cup, another former Chiefs player Jabu Pule featured in that 1-1 draw against Morocco in 2004.

In three previous Nations Cup clashes with Morocco, Bafana Bafana are undefeated against the Atlas Lions after winning two games and drawn one, and if history is a source of motivation Bafana Bafana have a lot of inspiration to draw from, with the form displayed by the likes of Itumeleng Khune, Reneilwe Letsholonyane, Tsepo Masilela and Bernard Parker against Angola the Chiefs quartet should feature against Morocco. Missing is Amakhosi striker and goalscorer Lehlohonolo Majoro with a shin injury.