Former Super Eagles captain Sunday Oliseh believes South Africa’s disappointing start to the 2026 FIFA World Cup was caused more by nerves than a lack of quality after Bafana Bafana fell 2-0 to hosts Mexico in the tournament’s opening match, Footynaija reports.
Played before 80,824 spectators at the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, the Group A encounter saw Mexico make the perfect start. Julián Quiñones struck in the ninth minute after capitalising on a costly mistake by South African midfielder Sphephelo Sithole, while veteran forward Raúl Jiménez doubled the lead in the 67th minute with a headed finish from Roberto Alvarado’s cross.
The contest soon descended into chaos. Sithole was sent off four minutes after the restart for bringing down Brian Gutiérrez, and South Africa were reduced to nine men in the 83rd minute when VAR spotted Themba Zwane striking Alvarado in the face. Mexico’s César Montes also received a late red card, making it three dismissals in a match dominated by the hosts, who finished with 61 per cent possession and 16 shots compared to South Africa’s three.
Related Post
Reacting after the game, Oliseh argued that the occasion overwhelmed Hugo Broos’ side.
“Finally, the World Cup is here. 80,000 fans at the Azteca, a beautiful opening ceremony and we all expected a romantic replay of the 2010 in South Africa. But we actually just witnessed was absolute psychological warfare.
“Mexico won 2-0 but this wasn’t about tactics. It was about pure pressure. South Africa didn’t lose because they are a poor side. Believe me. They lost because the stage seems to be simply too big for them.
“I was thinking the host nation pressure would break Mexico. Instead, that massive crowd took the pressure away from them and seems to dump it all on Bafana Bafana, forcing them into two red cards and a total meltdown.
“Expect to see this trend a lot during this tournament. The big stages change everything in football. Let’s see if the other host nations (United States and Canada) can handle this same pressure tomorrow and the day after.”
South Africa’s two dismissals made them only the second team in World Cup history to have two players sent off in an opening match, equalling Cameroon’s record from 1990. The defeat leaves Bafana Bafana bottom of Group A ahead of a crucial clash with Czechia, while Mexico move into a strong position before meeting South Korea.
