A disappointing start to the 2026 FIFA World Cup it was for South Africa, says former Super Eagles captain and coach Sunday Oliseh, Soccernet.ng reports.
Oliseh is convinced that South Africa's collapse on the colourful opening day of the global showpiece had more to do with pressure than football ability.
Bafana Bafana were beaten 2-0 by co-hosts Mexico in the opening match of the tournament at the famous Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. The Group A clash attracted a crowd of 80,824 fans and quickly turned into one of the most dramatic opening games in World Cup history.
Mexico took the lead after just nine minutes when Julián Quiñones punished a costly mistake from South African midfielder Sphephelo Sithole. Erik Lira won possession high up the pitch and Quiñones calmly finished through the legs of captain and goalkeeper Ronwen Williams.
The hosts remained in control for most of the contest before veteran striker Raúl Jiménez sealed the victory in the 67th minute. Roberto Alvarado delivered a cross to the far post and Jiménez headed home his first-ever World Cup goal despite appearing in his fourth tournament.
However, the game became increasingly heated after the break. Sithole was sent off in the 49th minute for bringing down Brian Gutiérrez when the Mexican attacker was through on goal. South Africa's problems worsened in the 83rd minute when Themba Zwane was shown a red card after a VAR review found he had struck Alvarado in the face.
Mexico also finished with ten men after César Montes received a straight red card in stoppage time for denying Khuliso Mudau a clear goalscoring opportunity.
The statistics backed Mexico's dominance. The hosts enjoyed 61 per cent possession, registered 16 shots compared to South Africa's three and completed passes at a 91 per cent accuracy rate.
World Cup: Oliseh on what caused South Africa's collapse
Despite the scoreline and the disciplinary chaos, Oliseh insisted South Africa are far better than they showed on the night.
Speaking in a podcast clip after the match, the former Nigeria midfielder argued that the occasion itself overwhelmed Hugo Broos' men.
“Finally, the World Cup is here,” Oliseh said. “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 red cards also placed them on the wrong side of World Cup history. Bafana Bafana became only the second team ever to have two players sent off in a tournament opener, matching a record set by Cameroon at the 1990 World Cup against Argentina.
Unlike Cameroon, who famously defeated Diego Maradona's Argentina 1-0 despite finishing with nine men, South Africa were unable to recover and suffered defeat.
The match also produced three red cards in total, the highest number ever recorded in a World Cup opening fixture. Remarkably, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar saw only four red cards across all 64 matches, meaning the 2026 tournament almost matched that figure on its opening night alone.
The defeat leaves South Africa bottom of Group A with no points. Their task becomes even more difficult ahead of their next match against Czechia in Atlanta, where they will be without suspended duo Sithole and Zwane. Mexico, meanwhile, sit in a strong position with three points before facing South Korea in Guadalajara.
