South Africa wasted several good chances against underdogs Burkina Faso and saw their tournament get off to a disappointing start.
Benni McCarthy was the man guilty of blowing the majority of Bafana Bafana`s opportunities, but there were also glaring misses from Shaun Bartlett and Bradley Carnell.
The winners of the 1996 competition now face an uphill struggle in a group that includes Morocco and Ghana.
For their part, Burkina Faso defended well and looked brisk going forward, if lacking in real penetration.
But South Africa are left to ponder what might have been.
They were struggling up front from the moment Shaun Bartlett, such a
controversial figure before the tournament began, limped off with a calf injury after only 19 minutes.
Shortly afterwards McCarthy did put the ball in the Burkina Faso net, but blatantly did so with his hand and was promptly booked.
It was, however, the most accurate he would be that evening.
From then on, he blazed a succession of efforts high, wide, or straight into Traore.
And Burkina Faso came very close to causing a huge upset by nearly sneaking a goal in the dying moments.
A goalmouth scramble on 88 minutes had Vonk struggling, but last-ditch heroics from Barnsley star Eric Tinkler rescued South Africa from very red faces indeed.
