South Africa's 2023 Africa Cup of Nations campaign started on a disappointing note as they suffered a 2-0 defeat to Group E rivals Mali at the Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium in Korhogo on Tuesday night. Despite a strong first-half performance by Bafana Bafana, where they created several chances, including a missed penalty, they couldn't capitalize. The Eagles seized control in the second half, with Hamari Traore and Lassine Sinayoko scoring to secure a victory. This loss places South Africa alongside Namibia, who earlier surprised Tunisia, at the top of the group standings with three points each.