Compiled by Dylan Bettencourt
- South Africa lost two zero against Mexico at the Azteca Stadium during the opening match of the Fifa World Cup.
- Coach Hugo Broos insisted Bafana Bafana played well on Thursday but many soccer fans say South Africa played very poorly.
Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos says his team played a good game on Thursday. This comes after South Africa lost 2-0 to Mexico in the opening match of the 2026 Fifa World Cup.
The teams played at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. Mexico took an early lead when midfielder Sphephelo Sithole gave away the ball after nine minutes, allowing Julian Quinones to score.
Raul Jimenez scored a header after the break to double the lead for Mexico. The referee then sent two South African players off the pitch during the second half.
Sithole got a red card for tripping Brian Guiterrez. The referee also sent Themba Zwane off after VAR showed he hit Roberto Alvarado with his arm.
“I think the first red card, I won’t say anything about,” Broos said. “With the second red card I think the Mexican player fouled my player.”
Broos said it was a pity that his team finished the match with nine players. Many fans are not happy because they felt Bafana played poorly and did not show any hunger.
South Africa hardly attacked the Mexico goal during the match. But Broos said Mexico only pressured them during the first 20 minutes of the game.
“After that we had the ball and played well. But we made two mistakes on our side,” Broos said. He said the team lost the ball and gave Mexico space to score twice.
South Africa still has time to recover in Group A and reach the knockout rounds. Bafana play Czechia in Atlanta on 18 June, and South Korea on 24 June in Guadalupe.
Pictured above: Bafana Bafana during the loss against Mexico.
Image source: @BafanaBafana
