South Africa’s national football team, Bafana Bafana, had a disappointing start to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) tournament as they were defeated 2-0 by Mali in their opening match at the Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium on Tuesday night. This loss places South Africa at the bottom of Group E after the first round of matches.
In another surprising turn of events, Namibia caused one of the tournament’s biggest upsets by defeating Tunisia 1-0 with a last-minute goal by Orlando Pirates midfielder Deon Hotto. This victory puts Namibia in second place in Group E with three points, while the SA team sits at zero points.
The match started with South Africa showing promise, and in the 10th minute, midfielder Amadou Haidara from Mali tested South African goalkeeper Ronwen Williams with a powerful long-range shot, which Williams managed to save.
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Shortly after, Bafana Bafana was awarded a penalty through the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system. Striker Evidence Makgopa was elbowed in the face by Mali’s Sikou Niakite inside the penalty box, leading to the referee pointing to the spot and giving Niakite a yellow card.
However, Bafana’s vice-captain Percy Tau failed to convert the penalty, disappointing both the supporters and coach Hugo Broos.
Despite the missed penalty, Tau continued to make an impact on the game. He had a powerful shot blocked by Mali goalkeeper Diarra Djigui and later headed wide from a cross by Khuliso Mudau.
South Africa also survived a scare when Williams made a crucial save to deny Lassine Sinayoko a goal after sneaking past defender Siyanda Xulu. In the second half, Haidara had a golden opportunity to score for Mali, but he missed the target with an open goal.
Mali’s captain, Hamari Traore, broke the deadlock in the 60th minute by capitalizing on a rebound from Sekou Koita’s free kick, giving Mali a 1-0 lead. Six minutes later, Sinayoko extended Mali’s lead to 2-0 with a powerful shot that beat the South African defense.
In an attempt to turn the tide, coach Broos made a double substitution, replacing Makgopa and Themba Zwane with Zakhele Lepasa and Mihlali Mayambela, respectively. However, despite their efforts, Bafana Bafana failed to make a comeback, and the match ended with a 2-0 victory for Mali.
Looking ahead, South Africa will face neighboring Namibia in their next group match on Sunday. This will be a crucial game for Bafana Bafana as they seek to bounce back from their opening defeat and secure their first points in the tournament.
The Africa Cup of Nations is known for its unpredictability, and there is still an opportunity for the South African side to turn their fortunes around and make a strong comeback in the tournament. They will need to improve their finishing in front of goal and tighten their defense to ensure a better performance in the remaining matches.
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