TAMALE - Tunisia moved a step closer to the quarter-finals of the African Nations Cup with a comfortable victory over a sloppy South Africa on Sunday.
Roger Lemerre's team scored all their goals in the first half with Francileudo dos Santos scoring either side of a Chaouki Ben Saada strike to seal an easy victory and move joint top of Group D alongside Angola.
Substitute Katlego Mphela grabbed a late consolation, but it was poor defending that costed his side dearly in Tamale.
Bafana Bafana started promisingly though and had an excellent chance early on after good build-up play between Steven Pienaar and Sibusiso Zuma allowed the Arminia Bielefeld striker some space on the left of the penalty area, but his shot was pushed away by Hamdi Kasraoui.
But Tunisia responded by edging ahead in the eighth minute when Dos Santos scored with a diving header at the near post after a good cross from Chaouki on the right.
The lead was doubled in the 31st minute when Dos Santos caught the South Africans napping with a surge through the middle.
The Toulouse striker's powerful shot came back off the upright and Chaouki was on hand to crash the ball in.
Two quickly became three less than two minutes later when a weak back pass from Nasief Morris allowed Dos Santos to steal the ball before rounding goalkeeper Moneeb Josephs and finishing from a tight angle.
Morris almost immediately made amends when he hit the bar running on to a long Teko Modise free-kick inside the penalty area, but South Africa went into the break three goals behind.
Bafana Bafana were almost in front early in the second half when Thembinkosi Fanteni made a good opportunity for himself after Zuma's knockdown, but his shot could only find the side-netting.
Dos Santos missed a fantastic chance for his hat-trick after he was played in by Chaouki, who covered good ground down the right and pushed the ball across the face of goal, but his strike partner stumbled as the chance went begging.
Pienaar wasted the best chance of the night for the South Africans when he pulled his 25-yard shot across the face of goal, before substitute Elrio van Heerden missed another opportunity nine minutes from time when a corner fell at his feet but he failed to find the target.
South Africa eventually managed to get on the scoresheet three minutes from the end when Pienaar shrugged off two defenders and laid the ball on for Mphela to finish.
