New Delhi, June 12 (IANS) South Africa head coach Hugo Broos has questioned a critical refereeing decision during his team’s FIFA World Cup 2026 opening match after Bafana Bafana suffered a 2-0 defeat against co-hosts Mexico at the iconic Estadio Azteca.

South Africa were forced to finish the game with just nine men on the pitch as they faced three red cards. Sphephelo Sithole and Themba ⁠Zwane were sent off in a match in which Mexico captain Cesar Montes was also dismissed.

While Broos accepted the first red card handed to his side, he expressed strong reservations over the second dismissal, saying that the Mexican player was actually the one who had been fouled.

“I think the first red card, I won’t say anything about. With the second red card, I think the Mexican player fouled my player. But the referee decided something else. It is a bit of a pity we had to finish the game with nine players,” Broos said during his post-match press conference.

Despite playing against the tournament co-hosts in front of a heavily partisan home crowd, the Belgian tactician insisted his team was not overwhelmed by the occasion, pointing out that Bafana Bafana controlled large portions of the game after an anxious start.

“When you play a game against the hosts you will be under pressure. But the only moment we were under pressure was in the first 20 minutes. After that, we had the ball and played well,” the coach explained.

Instead of pointing fingers entirely at external factors, Broos lamented the costly unforced errors committed by his defensive line, which allowed a clinical Mexican side to capitalize on open transitions and secure all three points.

“We made two mistakes on our side. In those moments you don’t have to lose the ball. We lost the ball, and there was space for Mexico and they could score twice,” Broos added.

Following the opening-day setback, South Africa will look to regroup and address their defensive vulnerabilities in their remaining Group stage fixtures.

–IANS

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