South Africa’s Bafana Bafana faced a setback in their AFCON debut against Mali’s Eagles on Tuesday, January 16.
Although the yellow and green team displayed resilience in the first half, they will rue the missed penalty opportunity in the 19th minute.
Following this tense moment, Mali demonstrated determination in the second half, securing victory. The team scored their first goal in the 60th minute and added a second six minutes later.
The match, held at the Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium in Korhogo, Cote d’Ivoire, concluded with Mali taking the lead in Group E.
In the same group, Namibia made history on Tuesday by causing a significant upset, defeating the 2004 champions Tunisia with a score of 1-0.
This marks a notable achievement for the southern African nation, participating in the Africa Cup for only the fourth time and breaking their previous trend of finishing at the bottom of their group.
Looking ahead, South Africa is scheduled to face Namibia on Sunday, while Mali will meet Tunisia on Saturday.
