South Africa analysis: is their World Cup already over? | OneFootball

Ollie Whitmore, Chief football news reporter

South Africa had quite the disastrous return on their return to the World Cup for the first time since they hosted football’s biggest and greatest tournament 16 years ago.

Raul Jiménez ended his wait for a World Cup goal as co-hosts Mexico coasted to a bizarre 2-0 win over Bafana Bafana, a game that saw three red cards on opening night at a packed out Mexico City Stadium.

Julián Quiñones got the co-hosts to the perfect start by slamming a powerful shot home after centre midfielder Yaya Sithole was caught taking a heavy touch 20 yards from goal, and came close to a second when he hit the base of the post.

Jiménez headed in the second to put the game beyond doubt either side of red cards to Sithole and Themba Zwane, before César Montes was shown red for the same offence as the former’s as El Tri achieved a first win over South Africa for 26 years.

In a repeat of the opener from 2010, the visitors took little inspiration from Siphiwe Tshabala’s memorable strike in that there was nothing anywhere near the sort for 90 minutes. They drew that game 1-1, as well.

But easily the most damaging part of their torrid first tie in their first finals since hosting them were the two red cards either side of El Tri’s 35-year-old talisman’s first goal at the competition.

Neither Sithole, who plays for Liga Portugal side CD Tondela and saw red for pushing Brian Gutiérrez from behind being the last defender back, nor Zwane of South African side Mamelodi Sundowns are new to international football.

Both players have 75 caps between them, having make their international debuts in 2021 and 2014 respectively, which makes their dismissals harder to believe given just how long they’ve waited to play on the world stage.

Irrespective of the experience they bring to the table, two rushes of blood were their undoing, and possibly their national team’s too, with tricky fixtures against Czechia and South Korea on the way that they will now miss out on.

Sithole may well have let Brian Gutiérrez score, or at least test goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, who had impressed with two strong saves in the first half to deny Jiménez, if it meant that he would be able to aid his team in the remaining group matches.

At worst, both of their World Cups could be over, on the grounds of South Africa potentially exiting the tournament at the group stage or if manager Hugo Broos decides not to field them again during an unlikely knockout campaign.

Then followed a complete loss of composure by Zwane, appearing to swat at the head of Roberto Alvarado in a coming-together off the ball. For South Africa’s most experienced player on the field, there is simply no excuse.

While a debate took hold of ITV’s studio containing Roy Keane alongside England icons Gary Neville and Ian Wright as to whether it was too soft an incident to warrant the red card, few reasons come to mind why Zwane would even take the risk.

In short, their tournament may well be over before the first match in Mexico City had even finished. It was a very poor showing at both ends of the pitch, as it won’t get much easier as they must swiftly reconcile before facing Czechia next Thursday.

Then follows a meeting with South Korea in their final match in Group A, by which point their dream of reaching the last 32 of the 2026 World Cup may have already been dashed.

While more third-placed teams will progress, Bafana Bafana are suddenly in desperate need of a win against two well-rounded sides if they are to make anything of their first World Cup appearance for 16 years.