Mexico Outclass South Africa in Chaotic World Cup Opener
by Devesh Jaganath | by Cydias Aujard
Bafana Bafana Endure a Forgettable Opening Night in Mexico City
The opening ceremony of the 2026 World Cup was a proper spectacle, but the first match of the tournament has raised a few concerns, particularly around officiating, with as many as three players being sent off in the curtain-raiser between Mexico and South Africa.
El Tri were the better side from the first whistle, dominating possession and creating chances almost at will against a Bafana Bafana side that altered their tactics to a five-at-the-back formation, which ultimately did not work to their advantage.
The co-hosts secured a 2-0 victory in the end and confirmed our 2026 World Cup predictions, with Julian Quinones opening the scoring after an error by Sphephelo Sithole in the first half, before Raul Jimenez secured the result with the team’s second goal in the 67th minute.
While Javier Aguirre’s side fully earned their victory, the major talking point from the match revolved around officiating, as the match ended with 19 players on the field after referee Wilton Sampaio showed three red cards - two to South Africa and one to Mexico.
This was the first time that three players were sent off in a World Cup match since 2006!
Sithole had a night to forget, as he was the first to be sent for an early shower after denying Brian Gutierrez a clear goal-scoring opportunity early in the second half, not long before Jimenez netted El Tri’s second to secure the result.
Bafana then suffered a further blow late on when substitute Themba Zwane was adjudged to have struck Roberto Alvarado in the face. Cesar Montes was the recipient of the final red card in injury time after committing a foul on Khuliso Mudau.
Although Sithole’s red was widely considered warranted, the same cannot be said for those brandished to Zwane and Alvarado, which has left many fans wondering if this is the level of strictness that officials are likely to show through the remainder of the tournament.
South Korea Off To Winning Start In World Cup Group A
Following the opening match of the 2026 World Cup, South Korea and the Czech Republic locked horns at Estadio Guadalajara, and it was the Taegeuk Warriors that secured the three points with a 2-1 victory over Narodak to take second place in Group A.
Both teams were evidently cautious in the first half, with neither wanting to concede first, but the game opened up in the second period, and Ladislav Krejci put Czechia in the lead just before the hour mark off a Vladimir Coufal assist.
Unfortunately, Miroslav Koubek’s team only held their advantage for eight minutes before Hwang In-Beom levelled proceedings. Oh Hyeon-gyu came on as a substitute in the 68th minute and netted what turned out to be the winner just 12 minutes later.
At the end of the opening day, Mexico now lead Group A, followed by South Korea with both on three points. Czechia and South Africa are in third and fourth place, respectively, and they will face off in the second match of the group at the Atlanta Stadium on Thursday, June 18.
2026 World Cup: Group A Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mexico (H) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 2 | South Korea | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 3 | Czech Republic | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 0 |
| 4 | South Africa | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | −2 | 0 |
