South Africa's World Cup campaign got off to a rough start on matchday one, falling 2-0 to co-host Mexico at the iconic Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.
Bafana Bafana not only lost the match but finished it with nine men, picking up two red cards along the way. The dismissals made an already difficult task against a home crowd and a tournament co-host feel near impossible.
Mexico took full advantage, claiming a comfortable 2-0 victory in front of their passionate home support. For South Africa, one of ten African nations at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the result is a tough but not impossible hole to climb out of.
Three points from their first game gone, Bafana Bafana now face the rest of their group stage with reduced room for error. How the squad responds in their next fixture will say a lot about the character of this team.
Originally published by AllAfrica.