Ghana's group opponents in the 2021 Afcon qualifier South Africa won its international friendly Sunday to give new coach Molefi Ntseki a successful debut.

At the time when the Black Stars head coach James Kwasi Appiah was probably in Holland scouting for players, goals from Dean Furman and Themba Zwane earned South Africa a 2-1 home victory in Port Elizabeth over Mali, who were missing many stars, including Southampton forward Moussa Djenepo.

It was the first match for Bafana Bafana (The Boys) since xenophobic attacks on African immigrants in South Africa last month led Zambia and Madagascar to cancel friendlies.

Ntseki was a controversial choice to succeed English coach Stuart Baxter after South Africa exited the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in the quarter-finals.

He had never been a head coach at senior level and critics alleged his appointment had more to do with the cash-strapped national football association needing a “cheap” replacement.

But Ntseki insists he is up to the task with his immediate goal being to achieve a top-two finish in a 2021 Cup of Nations qualifying group including Ghana, Sudan and Sao Tome & Principe and reaching the finals.

South Africa controlled most of the match against Mali, but a 75th-minute goal from Sekou Koita for the visitors created a tense finish.

Judgment on Ntseki will have to be delayed as Mali lacked many of the players who took them to the last 16 of the Cup of Nations in Egypt this year.