Compiled by Dylan Bettencourt
- Bafana Bafana will play Mexico in the World Cup opening match at Azteca Stadium on Thursday.
- Football experts say Bafana Bafana will be the whipping boys. The team is ranked 60th in the world, which is the lowest ranking in Group A.
Bafana Bafana are preparing to play Mexico in the opening match of the Fifa World Cup on Thursday. The game will kick off at 21:00 South African time at the Azteca Stadium.
Fifa said around 1.5 billion people will watch the match. Broos said his players will fight like lions for the fans. He said the players must focus on the game plan and ignore the noisy Mexican fans.
Football experts say Bafana Bafana will be the whipping boys. The team is ranked 60th in the world, which is the lowest ranking in Group A. The group includes Czechia ranked 39th, South Korea ranked 25th, and Mexico ranked 14th.
Broos said he is happy that critics think his team is the weakest side. He is using the insults from critics to fuel his players. Broos believes his players can get a good result if they stick together.
This match is a repeat of the 2010 World Cup opening match in South Africa. It is a special moment for Broos who played against Mexico 40 years ago as a player for Belgium. Mexico coach Javier Aguirre also played in that match.
Broos took over the team five years ago and won a bronze medal at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
Pictured above: Coach Hugo Broos is leading Bafana Bafana to face Mexico in the World Cup.
Image source: File
