Sphephelo Sithole opens up on Mexico World Cup horror

24.06.26 FT World Cup

South Africa

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Bafana Bafana midfielder Sphephelo Sithole has opened up on his infamous performance in the 2-0 defeat to co-hosts Mexico in the 2026 FIFA World Cup opener a fortnight ago.

The 27-year-old had a horror showing at the global showpiece as he was caught in possession on the edge of his box, allowing Julian Quinones to break the deadlock nine minutes after the first whistle.

Furthermore, Sithole subjected South Africa to a numerical disadvantage as he was shown a straight red card for denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity four minutes into the second half.

However, the player acknowledges that he had a below-par performance at Azteca Stadium, and expressed gratitude for the support he received from his teammates and the technical team during the difficult period.

“I know that I didn't have a good game in the first game, but I think the response that I got from the team was good, everyone was supportive, even the coach as well, he supported me very well. So, I'm very grateful for that,” said Sithole.

"And I think that's what makes us a very good team because other than the team we have very good human beings in our group.

Sithole says the intensity at the global showpiece is second to none ahead of their crucial clash against South Korea, in what will be a must-win match as Bafana look to seal a place in the knockout stages.

“I think everybody knows that the World Cup is the biggest stage of football, so the intensity here is very high, and obviously we are playing against a very good side, we know their qualities, we know how the play because we did our analysis on them,” he added.

"And I think as the coach has said, the only thing that we need to do tomorrow is to win the game if we want to qualify, and I think we are more than motivated for that, and we just can't wait for tomorrow.

"Everybody knows that it's an important match for us, we all know that we need to win the game tomorrow in order to advance to the next round, so I think the team is well prepared, and we are more than motivated for the game tomorrow.

Bafana will square off against Korea at the Monterrey Stadium on Thursday (03h00), knowing that maximum points will see them qualify for the knockout phase for the first time in history, having failed to do so in the 1998, 2002, and the 2010 editions.

Hlayisani Magoro

Editorfr, en

Football journalist from South Africa covering African football news, exclusive stories and key events while sharing insights with passionate fans of the game.

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