Tuesday evening saw Mali defeat South Africa 2-0 in their opening game of the ongoing 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) competition in Cote d'Ivoire thanks to two goals in the second half from Hamari Traore and Lassine Sinayoko.

Mali dominated possession in the exciting match to continue their winning run in AFCON opening games.

The West African team took the lead through a goal from Hamari Traore in the 60th minute, and the score was increased six minutes later by Lassine Sinayoko.

However, Percy Tau of South Africa missed a penalty kick in the first half.

With their attacking prowess on full display and a promising start to their tournament campaign, Mali's victory on Tuesday not only confirmed their place in Group E but also bolstered their desire to win the AFCON championship.

Mali, who have played in 13 tournaments but have never won the championship, was determined to have a big effect this year, as evidenced by their 2-0 thumping of Bafana Bafana in their opening match.

The defeat increases pressure on South Africa, who must win against Namibia, which defeated Tunisia 1-0 earlier on Tuesday, to keep their knockout ambitions alive.

Mali's next match is against Tunisia, which suffered a shock 1-0 defeat to Namibia.