By Levy Masiteng
Bafana Bafana suffered a 2-0 defeat to Mexico in their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on Thursday night, with two red cards proving costly for the South Africans.
South Africa’s hopes of a positive start to the tournament were undermined by disciplinary lapses as they finished the match with nine men.
Bafana Bafana midfielder Sphephelo Sithole was shown a straight red card in the 49th minute, while captain Themba Zwane was sent off in the 83rd minute after a VAR review confirmed violent conduct.
Mexico took advantage of their numerical superiority, with Julián Quiñones opening the scoring before Raúl Jiménez added a second to seal the victory.
The hosts dominated possession and territory after South Africa were reduced to 10 men, controlling the contest in front of a crowd of more than 80,000 supporters.
The result sparked
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