Jimenez and Quinones net as Mexico beat South Africa in World Cup opener

World Cup 2026 cohosts Mexico unfastened the tourney with 2-0 triumph against South Africa, who were reduced to 9 men.

Mexico ignited their World Cup enactment with a ascendant 2-0 victory implicit nine-man South Africa arsenic the biggest variation of the planetary footballing showpiece kicked disconnected astatine the iconic Estadio Azteca.

Julian Quinones scored the opening extremity of the tourney successful Thursday’s match, and seasoned striker Raul Jimenez added a 2nd arsenic the cohosts’ bid for qualification from Group A got disconnected to a creaseless start.

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South Africa, meanwhile, ne'er looked similar spoiling the opening time fiesta, and finished with lone 9 men aft Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane were sent off.

The Mexican-coloured red, greenish and achromatic fume from pre-game fireworks had hardly dissipated earlier Quinones fired the hosts into the pb connected 9 minutes, drilling a debased changeable done the legs of South Africa’s goalkeeper and skipper Ronwen Williams.

A deafening roar cascaded down from the stands of the Azteca, the footballing cathedral that became the lone stadium to big games astatine 3 antithetic World Cups.

South Africa manager Hugo Broos had warned his players to beryllium acceptable for the intimidating ambiance created by a capableness assemblage of 80,824 astatine the imposing factual arena.

But South Africa’s players looked to person a atrocious lawsuit of signifier fright arsenic Mexico’s fans greeted each completed walk with a raucous chorus of “Ole!” successful the opening minutes.

Sithole seemed peculiarly affected, being caught successful possession trying to play retired of the backmost for Quinones’s opening goal.

Sithole’s miserable day ended with a 49th-minute dismissal aft bundling implicit Mexico’s Brian Gutierrez erstwhile cleanable done connected goal.

Mexico rammed location their vantage successful the 67th minute, with a good counterattack culminating successful Roberto Alvarado crossing for Wolverhampton Wanderers guardant Jimenez to motion location astatine the acold post.

It got worse for South Africa successful the 84th infinitesimal erstwhile Zwane was dismissed aft a VAR reappraisal for flinging an limb into the look of Alvarado.

There was inactive clip for precocious play erstwhile Mexican defender Cesar Montes was shown a reddish paper for a clumsy situation connected Khuliso Mudau connected the borderline of the punishment area.