Mexico made a dream start to their home campaign as they defeated South Africa 2-0 in the FIFA World Cup opener at Estadio Azteca. The match produced three red cards, a historic goal for Raul Jimenez and a difficult afternoon for Bafana Bafana, who finished the game with only nine men.
The hosts started brightly and created the first clear chance of the match. Julian Reyes pushed forward from right-back and delivered a dangerous cross behind the South African defence. Raul Jimenez met the ball first time with his left foot, but goalkeeper Ronwen Williams reacted well to make the save.
Mexico’s early pressure paid off in the ninth minute. South Africa attempted to build from the back, but a costly mistake handed the hosts the lead. Williams played a direct pass into Sithole, who took a heavy touch while trying to turn. Erik Lira quickly won possession before setting up Julián Quiñones, who calmly fired a low finish past the goalkeeper to make it 1-0.
South Africa struggled to settle after conceding. In the 17th minute, Teboho Mokoena received the first yellow card of the game after bringing down Álvaro Fidalgo. The Mexican midfielder had started strongly and continued to cause problems between the lines.
Bafana Bafana enjoyed more possession as the half progressed but failed to create meaningful chances. Lyle Foster showed glimpses of promise, yet misplaced passes repeatedly broke down attacks. Mexico remained dangerous on the counter, with Jesús Gallardo driving forward down the left flank before Williams collected his low cross.
South Africa’s best attacking moments came from wide areas. However, Foster could not connect with a cross floated into the penalty area. Meanwhile, Mexico continued to threaten. Jimenez nearly doubled the lead in the 41st minute when he got a slight touch on a cross heading toward the far corner, but Williams produced another excellent save.
Moments later, Mexico came agonisingly close to a second goal. Gutierrez rolled the ball into the path of Quiñones, whose effort beat Williams but crashed against the post. Deep into first-half stoppage time, Gutierrez found space again but poked his effort wide when a composed finish looked the better option.
Mexico entered the break with only a one-goal advantage despite creating several clear opportunities. South Africa saw plenty of the ball but lacked creativity and cutting edge in the final third. Williams remained their standout performer after keeping the scoreline respectable.
The second half almost began with another costly error from South Africa. Williams misplaced a pass inside his own penalty area, gifting possession to Mexico. Fidalgo hesitated instead of shooting, and South Africa escaped when his low cross was blocked.
The turning point arrived shortly afterwards. Sithole, who had already endured a difficult game after his role in the opening goal, brought down Gutierrez as he raced through on goal. The referee showed a straight red card for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity, reducing South Africa to ten men with more than 40 minutes remaining.
Mexico eventually turned their dominance into a second goal in the 67th minute. Raul Jimenez marked a special moment in his career by scoring his first FIFA World Cup goal at the age of 35. The experienced striker drifted unmarked to the back post and headed home a perfectly delivered cross from the right. An emotional Jimenez celebrated passionately with teammates after overcoming the serious skull injury he suffered while playing for Wolves during the Covid era.
The striker remained a constant threat and nearly added another goal six minutes later. He timed his run well into the penalty area, but Mbatha recovered brilliantly to block the danger. South Africa’s frustration continued to grow, and Sibisi entered the referee’s notebook after a foul on the lively Quiñones.
Things worsened further for South Africa in the 84th minute. Substitute Themba Zwane received a straight red card following a VAR review. What initially appeared to be a minor incident was upgraded after footage showed Zwane clawing the face of Mexico defender Alvarado. Referee Wilton Pereira Sampaio reviewed the footage on the pitchside monitor before dismissing the South African midfielder.
Despite being reduced to nine men, South Africa almost found a late opening on the counterattack. However, Mexico defender César Montes cynically brought down an attacker near the edge of the penalty area. The referee immediately produced a straight red card, leaving both teams to finish the match with ten and nine players respectively.
Seven minutes of stoppage time followed, accounting for the drinks break, substitutions and disciplinary incidents. Mexico comfortably managed the closing stages to secure all three points in the tournament’s opening match.
For South Africa, it was a disappointing and uninspiring performance. Their possession-based approach often placed them in dangerous positions, but they lacked quality in the final third and paid heavily for costly defensive mistakes. They must improve quickly ahead of crucial group matches against South Korea and Czechia.
Mexico, meanwhile, celebrated a perfect start in front of their home supporters. The victory also saw Gilberto Mora make history as the sixth-youngest player to appear in a men’s FIFA World Cup match at 17 years and 240 days old. The co-hosts will now turn their attention to their next group game against South Korea as they look to build momentum in the competition.
