2026 World Cup: Why should South Africa fear Mexico?

11.06.26 FT World Cup

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For their opening game at the 2026 World Cup, South Africa will clash with Mexico, one of the tournament’s co-hosts, in Group A.

This high-stakes encounter, scheduled for Thursday, June 11 at 19:00 GMT, could prove decisive in the race for a spot in the knockout stage.

Alongside Bafana Bafana, Africa will be represented by nine other teams at the World Cup: Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Cape Verde, Senegal, and DR Congo.

Below are three reasons why South Africa should be wary of Mexico in this opening match of the 2026 World Cup.

Altitude

The iconic Azteca Stadium in Mexico City will set the stage for this crucial showdown between the two nations.

The Mexican capital sits at an altitude of 2,240 meters, which could negatively impact the physical performance of South African players, affecting both their aerobic capacity and endurance.

Hugo Broos’ squad is likely to struggle with ball control, as the reduced air pressure causes the ball to float unpredictably and feel much lighter.

Unfortunately, the 1996 AFCON champions face the host nation as their first opponent— a team well-accustomed to playing in these challenging conditions.

Mexico’s impressive streak

The Mexican national team hasn’t lost a single match since their friendly defeat to Paraguay (1-2) last November.

El Tri have gone on an eight-game unbeaten run in recent months, racking up six wins and two draws.

The 1999 Confederations Cup winners claimed victories over Panama, Bolivia, and Australia (all 1-0), as well as Iceland (4-0), Ghana (2-0), and Serbia (1-0). They also drew with Portugal (0-0) and Belgium (1-1).

A lackluster record against teams from the Americas

South Africa has never won a World Cup finals match against a team from the Americas.

In the 2002 World Cup, Bafana Bafana were held to a draw by Paraguay (2-2). South Africa’s goals came from Tehobo Patrick Mokoena and Quinton Fortune, while Roque Luis Santa Cruz Cantero and Francisco Javier Arce Rolon scored for Paraguay.

In 2010, the South African side drew with Mexico. Siphiwe Tshabalala opened the scoring before Rafael Márquez equalized.

And in the same 2010 edition, they suffered a 3-0 defeat to Uruguay, with goals from Diego Forlán (2) and Álvaro Pereira.

This record highlights the African side’s struggles to compete with teams from the Americas.

Imed Ben Amara |

Editorar, fr

Imed Ben Amara - bilingual sports writer and web editor with experience in football content creation. Since 2021, he has contributed to Foot Africa, providing news coverage and analysis.

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