Sphephelo Sithole had a calamitous start to the World Cup, directly contributing to South Africa's first goal conceded in the 9th minute. Erik Lira bypassed him during a pressing attempt, allowing Julian Quinones an unobstructed shot from inside the penalty area. Later, in the 49th minute, Sithole, as the last defender, fouled Brian Gutierrez, resulting in a direct red card.

According to statistics agency Opta, Sithole is only the third player to commit an error leading to a goal conceded and receive a red card in the same World Cup match. This previously occurred with Ivorian player Cyrille Domoraud against Serbia and Czech Republic player Tomas Ujfalusi against Ghana, both in 2006.

Sithole (yellow jersey) fouls Gutierrez, leading to a direct red card in the World Cup 2026 opening match, Mexico 2-0 South Africa on the evening of 11/6. Photo: AP

Whoscored gave Sithole a rating of 4,23, the lowest in the match. Themba Zwane also received a below-average score of 4,83 after being shown a red card late in the second half. South Africa's highest-rated player was goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, with 6,58. In contrast, Mexico had seven players rated 7 or higher, with Quinones earning the highest score of 8,72.

Sithole currently plays for Tonleda, a team that finished second to last among 18 teams in the Portuguese league 2025-2026 and was relegated. The midfielder has made 27 appearances for the South Africa national team since 2022. His best achievement was winning a bronze medal with South Africa at the Africa Cup of Nations 2023, where they defeated DR Congo 6-5 in a penalty shootout.

South Africa returns to the World Cup after missing three tournaments. Previously, they participated three times in 1998, 2002, and as hosts in 2010, but never advanced past the group stage. They won the Africa Cup of Nations once in 1996.

With a player advantage, co-host Mexico played with ease and secured a 2-0 victory in the 67th minute with a header from Jimenez. This opening match win gives Mexico a significant advantage in qualifying for the round of 16. The hosts will face South Korea on 18/6 and the Czech Republic on 24/6 in their next two matches.

The win against South Africa marks Mexico's 18th victory at the World Cup, alongside 15 draws and 28 losses, with 64 goals scored and 101 goals conceded. Mexico has participated 18 times, with their best performance being the quarterfinals of the 1970 and 1986 World Cups, both held on home soil. As co-hosts this year, Mexico holds the record for most times hosting the tournament, with three, surpassing countries that have hosted twice, including Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, and the United States.

The World Cup 2026 features 48 teams divided into 12 groups. The top two teams from each group and the eight best third-placed teams will advance to the round of 16, where the knockout stage begins.

Thanh Quy (according to Opta)