South Africa, and Broos, will be left to rue their profligacy inside the first 15 minutes, when they were well on top.
Burnley striker Lyle Foster planted a near-post header just wide from a free-kick in the third minute before Relebohile Mofokeng wasted his team’s best chance four minutes later, sending his finish high over the bar after a mistake by Che Malone allowed him in behind what, at that point, appeared to be a shaky defensive line.
Foster had the ball in the net shortly after but was flagged offside following his run from just inside the Cameroon half.
It was not until just after the hour mark, once they were 2-0 down, that South Africa threatened again.
Full-back Samukele Kabini saw a close-range effort smothered by Epassy, with the keeper then sharply across to turn a Teboho Mokoena free-kick around the post minutes later.
With the crowd in Rabat dominated by Indomitable Lions fans, there was a tense atmosphere for the closing stages, especially once Makgopa side-footed home Aubrey Modiba’s inviting delivery.
And deep into injury time Makgopa almost found a leveller, flicking a long ball pumped into the box wide of an empty net, with Epassy caught well off his line having failed to get near the delivery.
The gasps of the fans quickly turned to cheers on the final whistle, as Cameroon recorded just their second ever victory over South Africa.
There is undoubted quality in the young squad assembled by Pagou and Eto’o, but whether the five-time champions have enough to see off Morocco on their home turf remains to be seen.
