For football fans, this game brings a major sense of deja vu. Exactly 16 years ago, these same two teams played in the opening match of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, which ended in a famous 1-1 draw.
Now, the roles are reversed. Mexico is the host, and they carry a massive home-field advantage with tens of thousands of passionate fans backing them. Mexico, also known as El Tri, comes into this match looking incredibly strong. Managed by Javier Aguirre, who surprisingly also coached the team during that 2010 opener, they are undefeated in their eight friendlies leading up to the tournament. Their attack is dangerous, led by experienced striker Raul Jimenez and supported by Julian Quinones. They are the clear favorites to win today.
On the other side, South Africa’s Bafana Bafana are the underdogs. Returning to the World Cup for the first time since 2010, they are a young, disciplined team. Head coach Hugo Broos knows this will be a tough fight against a loud crowd. However, South Africa recently got good news: key defender Aubrey Modiba has recovered from a hamstring injury and is expected to play. They will rely heavily on their captain and star goalkeeper, Ronwen Williams, to stop Mexico’s aggressive attacks, while midfielder Teboho Mokoena will try to control the pace.
Lineups:
Mexico: Raúl Rangel, César Montes, Johan Vásquez, Érik Lira, Álvaro Fidalgo, Raúl Jiménez, Israel Reyes, Julián Quiñones, Jesús Gallardo, Roberto Alvarado, Brian Gutiérrez
South Africa: Ronwen Williams, Teboho Mokoena, Aubrey Modiba, Lyle Foster, Yaya Sithole, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Iqraam Rayners, Nkosinathi Sibisi, Khuliso Mudau, Ime Okon, Jayden Adams