This Thursday, June 11, South Africa will face Mexico in the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, on the hallowed turf of Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. A fixture steeped in history, sixteen years after Siphiwe Tshabalala’s masterpiece at the 2010 World Cup, which set the entire nation alight.
At the time, the whole country held its breath. On June 11, 2010, at Soccer City (now FNB Stadium for naming rights), Siphiwe Tshabalala opened the scoring with a dazzling volley, giving Bafana Bafana a moment of eternity. Unfortunately for Carlos Alberto Parreira and his players, Rafael Márquez’s equalizer in stoppage time of the first half sealed a cruel but unforgettable 1-1 draw.
The rest of the tournament proved more painful for the South African hosts, eliminated in the group stage after a 0-3 defeat to Uruguay and a consolation win against France (2-1).
A status of underdog embraced by Broos
Sixteen years later, the context has changed, but not the role. Hugo Broos’ South Africa approaches this match once again as the underdog. The Bafana Bafana’s preparation has been marked by setbacks, and the Belgian coach does not hide it.
The recent friendlies have done little to inspire confidence: a goalless draw (0-0) against Nicaragua in Johannesburg on May 29, followed by another (1-1) against Jamaica in Pachuca last Saturday, played behind closed doors, which left Broos particularly frustrated. Lyle Foster scored South Africa’s goal, while Dwayne Atkinson equalized for Jamaica.
“The performance was not what I expected. We need to analyze the match in depth to identify the mistakes. It was a disappointing game, especially mentally. We must do much better to achieve results at the World Cup.”— Hugo Broos, South Africa national team coach (SAFA)
The coach acknowledged it: his team is not yet at the level expected just hours before kickoff.
Mexico, a well-oiled machine
On the other side, Mexico approaches this match with a completely different dynamic. El Tri has gone eight consecutive friendly matches without a loss in 2026, with convincing victories over Ghana (2-0), Australia (1-0), and Serbia (5-1) in its last three outings.
The home advantage – the Estadio Azteca, soon to be renamed Estadio Banorte – and the altitude of Mexico City could weigh heavily against South Africa, who are still finding their feet.
Format and stakes: anything can happen
This opening match (kickoff at 21:00 CAT, 13:00 local time, 19:00 GMT) will be the first of the 48 teams in this expanded edition. Seven hours later, South Korea and the Czech Republic, the other two teams in Group A, will take the field.
Unlike previous editions, the top two teams from each group will advance directly to the Round of 16, joined by the eight best third-placed teams from the 12 groups. This leaves some room for error, but there will be no respite.
Where to watch the match?
South Africa: SuperSport (DSTV channels 201, 202, 203, 235), SABC 1, SABC 3, SportyTV (app)
United Kingdom: ITV (BBC will broadcast other matches later in the tournament)
United States: FOX (English broadcast)
Date & Time: Thursday, June 11, 21:00 CAT (19:00 GMT, 20:00 BST)
Venue: Estadio Azteca (Mexico City)
