….Isn’t this a price for xenophobia attacks on fellow Africans?…
By Shaffie A Mtambo
ESTADIO AZTECA-(MaraviPost)-Mexico got their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign off to a flying start on Thursday night after defeating South Africa 2-0 in the tournament’s opening match, leaving Bafana Bafana with more red cards than goals.
Julian Quinones opened the scoring as early as the ninth minute before Raul Jimenez sealed the victory in the 67th minute, handing Mexico all three points in a match that produced plenty of drama.
While Mexico celebrated their winning start, South Africa endured a frustrating evening that saw discipline become a major talking point. Sphephelo Sithole was sent off in the 49th minute before teammate Themba Zwane also received his marching orders in the 79th minute.
Mexico were not spared from the referee’s cards either, with Cesar Montes shown a red card deep into stoppage time at 90+2 minutes.
The three dismissals meant the match produced more red cards than goals, a statistic that quickly became one of the biggest talking points as the World Cup got underway in Mexico.
Meanwhile, South Korea became the second team to register a victory in Group A after edging Czech Republic 2-1 in a match played in Guadalajara early Friday morning.
After a goalless first half, Czech Republic broke the deadlock through Krejci in the 59th minute and looked on course for a positive result.
However, South Korea responded strongly, with I. Beom Hwang equalising in the 67th minute to bring his side back into the contest.
The comeback was completed in the 80th minute when Hwang delivered a dangerous ball into the Czech Republic penalty area, allowing Hyeon-gyn to turn it into the net for the winning goal.
The latest results leave Mexico and South Korea celebrating important opening victories in Group A, while South Africa and Czech Republic will be looking to bounce back in their next matches.
