Mexico city: The 2026 FIFA World Cup commenced with high drama at the Azteca Stadium as Mexico, one of the tournament's co-hosts, defeated South Africa 2-0 in a match characterized by goals, contentious decisions, and three red cards.
According to Ghana Web, the match began with a roaring atmosphere created by the home fans, energizing the Mexican team to seize control early. Within the first nine minutes, striker Julian Qui±ones made his mark by capitalizing on a mistake by South African midfielder Yaya Sithole, who lost the ball in a perilous position, allowing Mexico to take an early lead.
Throughout the first half, Mexico maintained dominance and had several opportunities to increase their advantage. However, South Africa's goalkeeper and captain, Ronwen Williams, made crucial saves to keep his team in the game. Raul Jimenez was among those thwarted, with Qui±ones also hitting the post during the relentless Mexican attack.
Sithole's challenging night continued into the second half when he was given a straight red card for a foul on Bryan Gutierrez, who was closing in on the South African goal. This expulsion gave Mexico more room to maneuver, and they capitalized on it when Jimenez scored with a header from a Roberto Alvarado cross. The goal was especially poignant for Jimenez, marking his first World Cup goal after recovering from a serious head injury.
The match's intensity escalated as substitute Themba Zwane received a red card following a VAR review of an off-the-ball incident with Alvarado. Mexico was also reduced to ten men when Cesar Montes was sent off for halting a South African counterattack. Despite these events, Mexico secured a solid start to their World Cup journey with a decisive win.