Mexico opened the expanded 48-team World Cup with a 2-0 win over South Africa at Estadio Azteca after Bafana Bafana collapsed under pressure.
Julián Quiñones scored the first goal of the tournament in the ninth minute. Raúl Jiménez added the second after South Africa had gone down to 10 men.
South Africa finished with nine players after red cards to Yaya Sithole and Themba Zwane. Mexico captain César Montes also received a red card in stoppage time.
The result ended Mexico’s wait for a victory in a World Cup opening match.
Early mistake gives Mexico control
Mexico started strongly and put South Africa under early pressure.
In the fourth minute, a direct free kick struck the South African wall. A minute later, Jiménez met a cross near the edge of the area and forced Ronwen Williams into a save.
Mexico took the lead in the ninth minute after a costly South African error.
Sithole lost possession under pressure from Érik Lira. The loose ball fell to Quiñones, who finished with his right foot past the exposed goalkeeper.
South Africa struggled to respond. Teboho Mokoena received the first yellow card of the tournament in the 17th minute.
Lyle Foster headed wide in the 38th minute with South Africa’s only clear first-half chance.
Quiñones almost doubled Mexico’s lead in the 42nd minute, but his effort struck the post after he beat Williams.
Brian Gutiérrez then wasted a promising opportunity in stoppage time. Mexico went into the break leading 1-0.
Sithole red card changes match
South Africa’s problems continued immediately after the restart.
Gutiérrez intercepted loose possession and fired over from outside the box. Moments later, Quiñones tested Williams from distance, but the goalkeeper recovered to save.
The match turned sharply in the 49th minute.
Gutiérrez broke through on goal before Sithole brought him down as the last defender. Referee Wilton Pereira Sampaio showed a straight red card.
Jiménez struck the resulting free kick into the wall. Jesús Gallardo then fired the rebound over.
South Africa coach Hugo Broos responded by withdrawing Foster and introducing Thalente Mbatha in the 56th minute.
Jiménez seals Mexico victory
Mexico made a double change in the 66th minute. Luis Chávez and Gilberto Mora replaced Gutiérrez and Álvaro Fidalgo.
The change paid off almost immediately.
One minute later, Roberto Alvarado crossed from the right. Jiménez found space and headed into the far corner to make it 2-0.
Nkosinathi Sibisi received a yellow card in the 74th minute for fouling Quiñones.
Mexico then made further changes. Edson Álvarez and Armando González replaced Lira and Jiménez in the 76th minute.
Alexis Vega came on for Quiñones in the 79th minute.
South Africa’s evening worsened in the 84th minute when Zwane received a red card after VAR showed him striking Alvarado.
Montes was also dismissed in the 92nd minute for a professional foul on Khuliso Mudau.
Mexico finished with 10 men, but South Africa could not find a way back.
Mexico dominate through wide areas
Mexico attacked mainly through the flanks.
Quiñones and Alvarado repeatedly stretched South Africa’s defence and created overloads in wide areas.
South Africa relied on long balls forward, but they rarely troubled the Mexican backline.
After Sithole’s dismissal, Broos reorganised his side defensively. However, Mexico remained in control and quickly punished the extra space.
Javier Aguirre’s double substitution in the 66th minute proved decisive, producing Mexico’s second goal within a minute.
Estadio Azteca makes World Cup history
The match also carried historic significance for Estadio Azteca.
The venue became the first stadium to host matches at three FIFA World Cups.
More than 80,000 spectators attended the opening fixture of the expanded 48-team tournament.
The match also repeated the 2010 World Cup opener between South Africa and Mexico, which ended 1-1.
Mexico now move forward with three points, but Montes will miss at least the next group match after his red card.
South Africa begin their campaign with a defeat and face suspension concerns after losing Sithole and Zwane.
