By Tomiwa Jagunna
Mexico opened their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign in style with a commanding 2-0 victory over South Africa at the iconic Estadio Azteca Stadium.
The hosts made a dream start when Julián Quiñones found the net in the 9th minute to score the tournament’s first goal.
Mexico remained on the front foot throughout the contest and eventually doubled their advantage in the 67th minute through veteran striker Raúl Jiménez, whose clinical finish effectively put the result beyond doubt.
What began as a competitive Group A encounter quickly turned into a heated affair as disciplinary issues took centre stage. South Africa’s Sphephelo Sithole was the first player dismissed in the 49th minute, leaving Bafana Bafana with an uphill task.
The situation worsened in the 84th minute when Themba Zwane was shown a straight red card after a VAR review. Mexico were not immune to the chaos, as defender César Montes received his marching orders deep into stoppage time, ensuring the match ended with three red cards and plenty of talking points.
The victory gives Mexico the perfect start in front of their home supporters and places them among the early pace-setters in Group A.
Elsewhere in the group, South Korea came from behind to secure an impressive 2-1 win over the Czech Republic. After conceding first in the 59th minute from a brilliant goal by Ladislav Krejci, the Koreans responded in the through Hwang In-beom before substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu completed the turnaround in the 67th and 80th minutes respectively.
The results leave Mexico and South Korea level on three points, setting up an intriguing battle at the top of the group heading into the next round of fixtures.
