Mexico ignited their World Cup campaign with a dominant 2-0 victory over nine-man South Africa at the Estadio Azteca on Thursday, as the largest edition of the global footballing event kicked off. The match marked the opening of the tournament and saw cohosts Mexico secure a smooth start to their bid for qualification from Group A.

Quinones Fires Mexico into the Lead

Julian Quinones scored the opening goal of the tournament on nine minutes, drilling a low shot through the legs of South Africa’s goalkeeper and captain Ronwen Williams. The goal sparked a deafening roar from the 80,824 fans in attendance at the Azteca, a stadium known for hosting games at three different World Cups.

South Africa coach Hugo Broos had warned his players about the intimidating atmosphere at the venue, but the visitors appeared to be struggling with nerves in the early stages. Mexico’s fans celebrated each completed pass with a chorus of “Ole!” that echoed through the stadium.

Jimenez Seals the Win in the Second Half

Raul Jimenez added a second goal for Mexico in the 67th minute, finishing a fine counterattack with a header at the far post; the veteran striker, playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers, capitalized on a cross from Roberto Alvarado to double the hosts’ advantage.

The result was further secured when South Africa was reduced to nine men after two red cards; Sphephelo Sithole was sent off in the 49th minute for bundling over Mexico’s Brian Gutierrez when clean through on goal. In the 84th minute. Themba Zwane was also dismissed after a VAR review found him guilty of a hand to the face of Alvarado.

Chaos in the Final Minutes

Just when it seemed the match was heading to a comfortable Mexican victory, defender Cesar Montes was shown a red card in the dying moments for a clumsy challenge on Khuliso Mudau. The late drama added to the already eventful match, which saw three players sent off in total.

Mexico’s red, green, and white team now looks to build on this strong start as they continue their campaign in the tournament, while South Africa faces the challenge of recovering from a difficult debut in the World Cup.