Goals from Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez secured the victory for El Tri, who controlled much of the contest and capitalized on South Africa’s severe disciplinary problems to begin their Group A campaign on a perfect note.
The hosts signaled their intentions early, dominating possession and pushing Bafana Bafana deep into their own half.
The bright start yielded immediate results in the ninth minute when Quiñones seized on a defensive lapse and fired a clinical finish beyond goalkeeper Ronwen Williams to score the first goal of the entire tournament.
Buoyed by the early breakthrough, Mexico continued to threaten and created several dangerous openings before halftime, including an effort from Quiñones that struck the outside of the post.
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Any hopes of a South African comeback suffered a massive setback shortly after the restart when midfielder Yaya Sithole was shown a straight red card in the 49th minute following a reckless challenge on the edge of the area. With a clear numerical advantage, Mexico beats South Africa down by tightening their grip on the match.
They eventually doubled their lead in the 67th minute when Roberto Alvarado floated a precise cross into the penalty box, and veteran striker Raúl Jiménez rose above the defense to power a downward header into the net—marking his first-ever career World Cup goal across four tournament appearances.
The final minutes of the match dissolved into pure chaos as disciplinary incidents took center stage. South Africa were reduced to nine men after substitute Themba Zwane was sent off following a VAR review in the 84th minute for an off-the-ball strike.
Mexico also finished the match short-handed after defender César Montes received a straight red card deep into stoppage time for a professional foul. Despite the late drama, Javier Aguirre’s men comfortably managed the remaining minutes to close out the contest.
The triumph in the curtain-raiser means Mexico beats South Africa to claim an early three points in Group A, putting the co-hosts in a commanding position ahead of their next fixture against South Korea in Guadalajara.
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