Bafana Bafana opened the 2010 FIFA World Cup with a memorable 1-1 draw against Mexico at Soccer City, but the result ultimately proved costly in the end.
South Africa became the first host nation to be eliminated in the group stage despite finishing with four points.
A heavy 3-0 defeat to Uruguay in their second match left Bafana with a mountain to climb. Although they ended their campaign with an impressive 2-1 victory over France, it was not enough, as they needed a much bigger winning margin to progress to the knockout stages.
Looking back, the opening match against Mexico was one that South Africa could and perhaps should have won. Here are three key moments that denied Bafana all three points.
Failure to kill off the game
When Siphiwe Tshabalala fired home his iconic opener in the 55th minute, Mexico appeared rattled.
Bafana looked dangerous on the counter-attack and repeatedly exposed gaps in a shaky Mexican defence marshalled by Rafael Márquez.
Bafana missed chances to bury Mexico
Teko Modise had two golden opportunities to double South Africa’s lead. In the first, he found himself through on goal but was unable to capitalise after pressure from a recovering defender.
His second chance was even clearer, with only goalkeeper Oscar Pérez to beat, but he dragged his effort wide.
Those missed opportunities allowed Mexico to stay in the contest and ultimately proved costly.
Mbazo’s offside trap gamble
Bafana captain Aaron Mokoena came under scrutiny for Mexico’s equaliser.
As Andrés Guardado prepared to deliver a cross, Mokoena instructed his teammates to push up in an attempt to catch the Mexican attackers offside.
The move backfired however, as Rafael Márquez ghosted into space at the near post and converted Guardado’s delivery with ease.
Mokoena was the only South African defender who failed to step up in time, inadvertently playing the Mexican captain onside.
It was a costly defensive lapse in a match where South Africa had otherwise defended resolutely.
Mphela inches away from glory
Even after surrendering their lead, Bafana still had one final opportunity to claim victory.
Deep into stoppage time, Katlego Mphela raced onto a long ball and found himself with a clear sight of goal. With Pérez stranded off his line, the striker attempted to score Bafana’s winner over Mexico, only to see it crash against the post.
Had the effort found the back of the net, South Africa would have secured a famous victory and two crucial extra points that may have changed the course of their World Cup campaign.
Sixteen years on, the match remains one of the great “what if” moments in South African football history.
While Tshabalala’s stunning strike is remembered fondly, the missed chances and defensive lapse against Mexico continue to haunt Bafana Bafana’s 2010 World Cup story.
