Mexico faced South Africa in the opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2026
The El Tri took the lead in the ninth minute via Quiñones
Bafana Bafana's troubles heightened after Sphephelo Sithole was sent-off in the second-half
The biggest ever FIFA World Cup kicked off on Thursday, June 11, with co-host Mexico beating South Africa 2-0 in the opening match. El Tri scored the first goal of the tournament when Julian Quinones pounced on a South African defensive lapse and beat the goalkeeper with a right-footed drill in the ninth minute.
With Bafana Bafana struggling to create any meaningful chances in an otherwise lacklustre first half, Mexico returned to the dug-out with a 1-0 advantage.
The change of sides didn't change the script, though. South Africa continued to play second fiddle and hardly troubled the Mexican backline. And their woes were compounded when Sphephelo Sithole received a straight red card from Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio for denying Brian Gutierrez a goal-scoring opportunity with a tackle just outside the box.
The 27-year-old midfielder, thus, became the first player to be shown a red card at the FIFA World Cup 2026. For the record, his send-off was followed by marching orders to team-mate Themba Zwane for a 'slap' and Mexico's Cesar Montes for a late foul. Only four red cards were shown in the 2022 World Cup.
Who Is Sphephelo Sithole?
Born in Ulundi, a one-time capital of the Zulu Kingdom, Sphephelo Sithole has been part of the South African youth system. He relocated to Portugal in 2017 and joined Sporting CP as a prospect.
However, after spending a season at the famed academy, he moved to Vitoria Setubal. In 2020, he made his Primeira Liga (Portugal's top-tier league) debut as a B-SAD player. During his four-year stint there, the South African established himself as a reliable defensive playmaker even as the club suffered successive relegations.
But when B-SAD went defunct, he moved on, and now, he's with top-tier outfit Gil Vicente F.C. on loan from C.D. Tondela.
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A full international since 2022, Sithole has always been 'Yaya' to his teammates, and according to him, "the story behind the nickname Yaya is very interesting, because everywhere I went, I was told that I play and display similar attributes as Yaya Toure."
"I got the name at the KZN Academy because when I got there, there was one guy who said to me I play like Yaya Toure and [that I] always gave them a hard time," he told South African publication Sunday World in 2025.
"So, that is basically how I got the name, and it has stuck with me since."
Now, he's a lot to live up to. Toure is a living legend.
