South Africa, the 1996 champion, began its campaign in the African Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, with a disappointing loss to Mali 0-2, on Tuesday, at the Amadou Gon Coulibaly stadium in Korhogo, in the first round of Group E competitions.
Hamare Traoré (60th) and Lassen Senayuku (66th) scored the two goals after Percy Tau missed a penalty kick for South Africa (19th).
Mali tops the standings with three points, with a goal difference against Namibia, while Tunisia comes in third without a score against South Africa.
In the second round, Tunisia will play Mali on January 20, while Namibia will meet South Africa the next day.