Tournament co-host Mexico defeated South Africa 2-0 today in the opening match of the 23rd FIFA World Cup, played at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, during the first round of Group A.
Julián Quiñones opened the scoring in the ninth minute, and former Benfica striker Raúl Jiménez sealed the victory in the 67th minute for the Mexican side. The South African squad finished the match with only nine players on the pitch following the ejections of Yaya Sithole—a midfielder for Portuguese club Tondela—in the 49th minute, and Themba Zwane in the 84th minute.
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The Mexican team also saw a red card, finishing with 10 players after César Montes was sent off deep into stoppage time at the 90+2 mark. With this result, Mexico secures three points and provisionally leads Group A ahead of the upcoming clash between the Czech Republic and South Korea.
