Mexico began its home World Cup campaign with a 2-0 victory over South Africa in a heated opening match at the Estadio Azteca, setting the tone for the tournament in front of a vocal home crowd.
Goals from Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez ensured the hosts claimed all three points, although the contest was overshadowed by three red cards in a tense and often scrappy encounter.
Quiñones struck early to give Mexico control, while Jiménez added a second midway through the second half, converting a header to ease the pressure on Javier Aguirre’s side.
Despite the victory, Mexico’s manager was far from satisfied with the overall performance.
“This was a 4-0 match, we didn’t play good enough, but people are happy,” Javier Aguirre said. “It’s the start of the World Cup. We’ve put the nerves behind us and now we have three points.”
The match quickly lost its rhythm as disciplinary issues took centre stage.
South Africa were reduced to ten men early in the second half when Sphephelo Sithole was sent off for a challenge from behind, before teammate Themba Zwane was also dismissed following a VAR review.
Mexico finished the match with ten players as César Montes was shown a red card in the closing moments.
While the atmosphere inside the Azteca remained celebratory, the string of dismissals disrupted the flow of the match and overshadowed what had been a dominant display from the hosts.
The result gives Mexico an early advantage in Group A, where they aim to progress with confidence as one of the tournament's co-hosts.
Backed by more than 80,000 supporters, the team made a fast start, pressing South Africa high and creating chances from the opening minutes.
The opening goal came after a defensive error, with Erik Lira winning possession and setting up Quiñones, who finished calmly.
Mexico continued to control proceedings, although they were slow to extend their lead until Jiménez’s well-placed header secured the win.
In the group’s other match, South Korea joined Mexico on three points with a 2 to 1 win over the Czech Republic in Zapopan.
After Ladislav Krejci gave the Czech side the lead early in the second half, South Korea responded through Hwang In-beom before Oh Hyeon-gyu netted the winner in the 80th minute.
Goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu made several key saves late on to preserve the result, ensuring South Korea remained level with Mexico at the top of the standings.
With both Mexico and South Korea securing victories, the early picture in Group A suggests a competitive race for qualification.
The Czech Republic, playing in their first World Cup in two decades, now face early pressure, while South Africa will look to recover in their next match.
Mexico, meanwhile, will take confidence from their opening result but know that performances will need to improve as the tournament progresses.
For now, the hosts have delivered the outcome their supporters demanded, even if the performance left room for improvement.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran was not ready to make what he called the "right deal" with Washington as tensions persisted over th...
A large-scale drone attack has hit Russia's Samara region, damaging facilities and disrupting operations at an Ozon logistics complex, accordin...
At least 13 Tunisians are missing after a boat carrying migrants sank off the Tunisian coast while attempting to reach Italy, according to the Tuni...
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
Russia is open to listening to new proposals on how to reach a settlement on the Ukraine conflict, a senior Russian diplomat said, but any proposals should reflect the "realities on the ground".
A large-scale drone attack has hit Russia's Samara region, damaging facilities and disrupting operations at an Ozon logistics complex, according to regional authorities and the company.
Iran has condemned new U.S. sanctions as “economic terrorism” and “crimes against humanity”, accusing Washington of pursuing a decades-long policy of hostility. Tehran said the measures would not weaken its resolve to defend its sovereignty and national interests.
Türkiye said on Thursday it would continue helping Syria strengthen its military, despite rising tensions with Israel over Ankara’s role in the country.
At least 13 Tunisians are missing after a boat carrying migrants sank off the Tunisian coast while attempting to reach Italy, according to the Tunisian Observatory for Human Rights.
Business Europe launches today, taking viewers inside the companies driving growth and innovation across Europe, with Brickken CEO Edwin Mata joining the programme for its first episode.
A large-scale drone attack has hit Russia's Samara region, damaging facilities and disrupting operations at an Ozon logistics complex, according to regional authorities and the company.
The United States has imposed 50% tariffs on a range of Canadian goods after Washington and Ottawa failed to reach a new trade agreement, with both sides accusing the other of derailing negotiations at the final stage.
Türkiye has asked Interpol to issue a red notice for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a criminal case linked to Israel’s interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza, Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said on Friday.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment