South Africa’s campaign got off to a disappointing start with a 2–0 defeat to hosts Mexico in front of a packed Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. More than 80,000 passionate supporters created a deafening atmosphere in the stadium.

Perhaps even more disappointing than the result was Bafana’s ill discipline. Midfielder Yaya Sithole was shown a red card in the 50th minute, while veteran playmaker Themba Zwane was also sent off six minutes from full-time, leaving Hugo Broos’ side with plenty to reflect on ahead of their next outing.

Teboho Mokoena and Álvaro Fidalgo. Photo: SAFA

The scoring at the World Cup was opened in the ninth minute when Julián Quiñones capitalised on a mix-up between South African captain Ronwen Williams and defender Siyabonga Ngezana. The loose ball fell kindly for the Mexican forward, who slotted home through the legs of Williams for a soft opening goal.

Five minutes into the second half, disaster struck for South Africa when Sithole was shown a straight red card for a reckless challenge just outside the penalty area. Seventeen minutes later, Raúl Jiménez found himself on the end of a perfectly delivered cross and headed home to double the hosts’ advantage.

Things went from bad to worse for South Africa with six minutes of regulation time remaining when the experienced Zwane was also shown a red card for what was deemed “aggressive play” after raising his arm while contesting possession. It was a decision that appeared particularly harsh.

Two minutes into stoppage time, Mexico’s César Montes was also shown a straight red card following a challenge on Aubrey Modiba, and that decision too seemed severe.

Mexico comfortably saw out the remainder of the match to secure a 2–0 victory in a game where South Africa were generally organised defensively, but lacked a cutting edge in attack and were punished for costly mistakes.

More concerning than the result itself were the two red cards, which mean South Africa will be without both Sithole and Zwane for their crucial next Group A encounter against the Czech Republic in Atlanta.

Yaya Sithole receiving the first red card of the World Cup. Photo: SAFA

Following the defeat, Broos felt his side had competed well against the world’s 13th-ranked nation and stressed the margins at World Cup level are exceptionally fine.

“I don't think there has been a drop in the standards of my players,” said Broos.

“The reality is that this level is much higher and at a World Cup you're playing against very good teams. I also think we played a good game. There were moments when Mexico looked desperate and didn't know what to do with the ball.

“Our defensive organisation was excellent, but offensively we still need to improve. We had opportunities where the final pass or the movement of our players wasn't quite right.

“That’s something we need to work on over the next few days. If we can maintain the same performance while being more effective in attack, I’m sure we’ll get a better result.”

Defender Samukele Kabini admitted it had been a difficult evening but insisted there is still everything to play for in the group.

Mbekezeli Mbokazi. Photo: SAFA

“It was a tough day at the office, but we’ll take the positives from this game. I don’t think we played badly enough to deserve a result like that,” said Kabini.

“It was a game of moments, and they capitalised whenever we made mistakes. We have another game coming up and we’ll look to rectify those errors.

“As senior players and leaders within this group, we have to motivate the team and remind everyone that not everything is lost.

“We still have two games to play, and three points could be enough to take us through to the next round. There’s still a lot to play for, and we’re really looking forward to the next two matches.”

In the other Group A fixture, South Korea struck twice in the final 20 minutes to beat the Czech Republic 2–1 in Guadalajara. 

Bafana Bafana will now turn their attention to a crucial Group A clash against the Czech Republic in Atlanta on Thursday, knowing that anything less than a victory could leave their hopes of reaching the knockout stages hanging by a thread.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek sm