Goalless start to African Cup of Nations

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Hosts South Africa have been held to a 0-0 draw by Cape Verde Islands in the opening match of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations on Saturday.

The extent of South Africa's decline as a force in African football was ably demonstrated at Soccer City, Johannesburg, where traditional minnows Cape Verde shut out the heavyweight with relative ease.

South Africa's Thuso Phala orchestrated the first incident of note, tricking Nivaldo inside the opening minute, before being hauled down and winning Bafana-Bafana a free kick in a dangerous position.

It produced what proved to be one of the best moments in the match for the home side as Siphiwe Tshabalala's free-kick found Bongani Khumalo, who headed wide of the post.

South Africa made most of the attacking moves in the first half, but struggled to keep hold of the ball, gifting Cape Verde plenty of possession.

In the 16th minute Cape Verde gave South Africa a scare as Babanco split the defence with a brilliant through-ball, playing Platini in on goal, but the Santa Clara striker wasted the opportunity, dragging his shot wide.

As both sides produced opportunities in an end-to-end encounter, the next best chance came from the hosts 11 minutes after the break as South Africa cut through the Islanders' defence from the right wing, as Majoro fed Parker.

The Chiefs striker was blocked by Varela, but the ball fell for Tshabalala, whose strike was brilliantly parried by Vozinha.

In the 71st minute the visitors nearly silenced the crowd as a clever cross from Babanco reached Mendes, whose superb diving header fell just wide of a scrambling Khune.

Captain Khumalo could have won it for South Africa in injury time with a header from a corner, but it wasn't to be as Cape Verde earned a deserved draw.

Even though South Africa failed to score, they are still in the competition, needing points from their next two games against Angola and Morocco to progress to the second round.

Angola and Morocco, themselves also played out a goalless draw in Johannesburg in the competition's second match.

Both sides went close to scoring despite incessant rain and very cold conditions at Soccer City, with Angola keeper Lama making a superb diving save to thwart Morocco's Mounir El Hamdaoui after 10 minutes.

El Hamdaoui also went close in the fifth minute with another effort stopped by Lama while Mingo Bille had a chance to put Angola ahead a few minutes earlier.

Although Morocco dominated the early stages, Angola played their way back into the game and Guilherme Afonso, making his competitive international debut as a halftime substitute for Bille, almost broke the deadlock two minutes later.

Manucho and Afonso got in each other's way trying to head home a cross in the 88th and the former put the ball just wide.

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