An injury-time penalty from Quinton Fortune gave South Africa a draw against Paraguay in the Group B opener.
The South Americans built a two-goal lead through efforts from Roque Santa Cruz and Francisco Arce either side of the break.
But they began to wobble when South Africa halved the Paraguayan advantage through an own-goal from Estanislao Struway.
And Bafana Bafana's comeback earned a point when Fortune scored from the spot after Paraguay keeper Ricardo Tavarelli brought down Sibusiso Zuma.
Despite playing with just one forward in Santa Cruz, Paraguay were the more effective side in attack.
And it was no surprise when the Bayern Munich striker put the South Americans ahead before the break.
South Africa had been warned of the 20-year-old's threat as early as the first minute.
Santa Cruz was unfortunate not to earn a penalty when he tumbled over goalkeeper Andre Arendse as he chased a through ball into the box.
Francisco Arce is lethal with the dead-ball
And he might have been on the scoresheet sooner than he was had Lucas Radebe not made a crucial intervention and Arendse a fine low save from a header at his near post.
The goal eventually came from a 39th minute free-kick supplied by Arce, one of the game's finest strikers of the dead ball.
Arce had wasted little time in finding his range, producing a curling free-kick which required an acrobatic tip-over from Arendse.
The full-back's next effort produced a goal, as he whipped in a perfectly-flighted cross, beating Arendse for pace to allow Santa Cruz to head home at the far post.
South Africa offered little in reply, their main threat coming from the long range shooting of MacBeth Sibaya.