AARON Mokoena's African Cup of Nations adventure looks destined to end prematurely with South Africa facing elimination at the group stages tonight.

Having picked up a solitary point from their opening two matches in group D, Mokoena and his team-mates have come to accept they now have virtually no chance of overhauling joint leaders Tunisia and Angola, who face each other this evening.

A draw between Tunisia and Angola will ensure both go through to the quarter-finals, even if South Africa beat Senegal in their final group match in Ghana.

Bafana's hopes disappeared in the haze of Tamale on Sunday night, when they were comfortably dispatched 3-1 by Tunisia.

Now even their esteemed head coach, Carlos Alberto Parreira, who won the World Cup with Brazil in 1994, has conceded the South African's are facing a third successive early exit from the tournament.

The Brazilian said: "If Angola and Tunisia play to a draw, we are out. It is not in our hands anymore.

"I hope one can beat the other and maybe we can win against Senegal, but there will be no pressure on any of the two countries."

The South Africans were eager to make an impression in the tournament, believing it would act as useful preparation for the next World Cup in 2010, which they are hosting.

But after a brave performance against Angola in their opening group game last week, the South African's frailties were then cruelly exposed by Tunisia, who ruthlessly punished some shoddy defending.

"You cannot defend like we did, not at this high level," said Parreira.