Bafana Bafana midfield talisman Teboho Mokoena has revealed the rallying cry he delivered to his teammates ahead of their highly anticipated 2026 FIFA World Cup opening clash against Mexico.
South Africa is returning to football’s grandest stage for the first time in 16 years, having last featured in the tournament when they famously hosted the global showpiece back in 2010.
Mokoena disclosed that he urged the squad to fully embrace and enjoy the magnitude of the moment, while emphasising the importance of staying fiercely competitive so that they can return home with absolutely no regrets.
“What I told the guys during the week when we had the meeting, I said we must be here to enjoy the experience,” said Mokoena.
“As soon as go home we must not go having regrets. We must give our all so that we’re not going to have regrets when we go back home.
“We’re looking forward to the games and we’re excited man. You can see our faces that we’re excited.”
He stated that they are well aware that expectations are incredibly high, and they are anticipating an “amazing” atmosphere.
“Of course, the expectations are very high, it’s gonna be an amazing game and amazing atmosphere,” he added.
“As a team, we’re looking forward to the game. We know how much it means to our people back home and ourselves. We’re looking forward to the game.”
Bafana face off against El Tri on Thursday night at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, with kickoff scheduled for 9 pm (SA time).
