Despite growing concerns among supporters following a five-match winless run, former Bafana Bafana coach Gordon Igesund and former captain Steven Pienaar remain confident that South Africa can upset Mexico in their opening match of FIFA World Cup 2026.
Bafana Bafana will launch their Group A campaign against co-hosts Mexico at the iconic Estadio Azteca on Thursday, 11 June with kick-off scheduled for 21:00 (SA time).
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Yet to win in 2026
The build-up to the tournament has done little to ease supporters’ nerves.
Hugo Broos’ side has failed to register a victory in 2026, a run stretching back to their Round of 16 defeat to Cameroon at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco in January.
Recent warm-up matches against Panama and Nicaragua also failed to inspire confidence, with many questioning whether the squad is ready for football’s biggest stage.
Shown resilience
However, according to the SABC, Igesund believes South Africa have already shown their resilience by overcoming numerous challenges during the qualification campaign.
“We do know it’s going to be a tough game, but I think we have the character. Getting into this stage was very difficult.
“At some point we lost points, there were some difficulties, but they overcame all the obstacles along the way.
“The only obstacle now is Mexico and the group we are in.
“Hugo has done a very good job, he has got the team buzzing and we have got a bunch of good players and I think they will get good results,” said Igesund.
Daunting task
Bafana Bafana face a daunting task in Group A, with all three opponents ranked significantly higher in the latest FIFA rankings.
Mexico are currently 14th in the world, while South Korea sit 25th and Czech Republic are ranked 39th. South Africa enter the tournament as the 60th-ranked nation.
Meanwhile, Pienaar, who represented Bafana Bafana at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, believes those rankings will count for little once the match begins.
“I think it’s going to be 2-0 for Bafana Bafana and I think this team is much better than the team we had and Mexico is not as good as the team from 2010,” he said.
Well travelled
Pienaar, now 44, played 62 matches in all competitions for Bafana Bafana, scoring three goals.
He played for a host of team in both South Africa, England, The Netherlands and Germany, including Bidvest Wits, Ajax Cape Town, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur, Sunderland, Ajax Amsterdam and Borussia Dortmund.
With just days remaining before their World Cup opener, Bafana Bafana will be hoping to prove their doubters wrong and make a statement against the tournament hosts in Mexico City.
Bafana Bafana’s Group A FIFA World Cup 2026 fixtures
- Thursday, 11 June: Mexico vs South Africa, Estadio Azteca, Mexico City – 21:00 (SA time)
- Thursday, 18 June: Czech Republic vs South Africa, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta – 18:00 (SA time)
- Thursday, 25 June: South Africa vs South Korea, Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe – 03:00 (SA time)
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