Co-hosts Mexico began their World Cup campaign with a 2–0 win over South Africa at the Estadio Azteca on Thursday in a fiery game that saw three red cards and plenty of on-field drama.
Julian Quiñones gave the hosts a dream start, finishing in the 9th minute after a neat assist from Erik Lira, a strike that sent the home crowd into early celebration.
The match quickly turned tense, with both teams picking up cautions before halftime as the contest became increasingly physical.
South Africa were cut down to 10 men early in the second half when Siphephelo Sithole was shown a straight red in the 49th minute for a professional foul as the last defender.
Mexico made the most of the extra space, doubling their lead in the 67th minute through Raúl Jiménez, who calmly converted to put the hosts in control.
Bafana Bafana’s night got worse in the 84th minute when Themba Zwane was sent off for violent conduct, leaving South Africa with nine men. Mexico also finished with a dismissal, as César Montes received a red card in added time, capping a chaotic end to an already heated match.
Despite the disruptions, Mexico held on to claim all three points in their opening group fixture.
