2010 World Cup: South Africa vs Mexico – Post Match Analysis

Topics: 2010 World Cup, South Africa, Mexico

South Africa’s Tshabalala got his nation wild when he registered his name in history for being the first player to claim a goal in Africa’s first ever staging of the World Cup tournament. However, defender Rafael Marquez stole a bit of pride for Mexico with an equalizer 11 minutes from normal time.

First half – South Africa Struggling Under Mexico’s Dominance

For Mexican fans, the first period of this 2010 FIFA World Cup opening game surely offered a lot of entertainment as Javier Aguirre’s men played with incredible touches on the ball. Young player Giovanni dos Santos quickly made his mark with explosive runs which forced Bafana Bafana to apply more work in defense.

Inside the first minutes of the match already, the former Barcelona forward scared the home side with a shot that surely should have given the lead to Mexico. Somehow though, South Africa’s key defender Aaron Mokoena produced an awesome challenge to ease the pressure on his team mates.
Guardado also looked dangerous at the right hand side of the pitch but South Africa’s goalkeeper Khune was equally good.

Bafana Bafana just couldn’t play their game and had to content themselves with a few chances in attack. Unfortunately for the hosts, star player Steven Pienaar wasn’t at his peak and most of his crosses were poor – leaving Mexico’s goalkeeper quite comfortable between his poles. Efrain Juarez picked up the first yellow card of the game on 18 minutes for handling the ball. But, Carlos Alberto Parreira’s boys couldn’t make the most of the free-kick which they had then been awarded.

Instead, it was Giovanni dos Santos again who was on the verge of creating something great for El Tri. The youngster broke free against South Africa’s defense but his final touch on the ball was certainly too hard as the ball flew just one from a one-on-one position.

Mexico thought their moment had arrived at the 36th minute when Carlos Vela banged the ball at the back of the net. But at the relief of the tens of thousands of South African fans that had filled the Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg, Carlos Vela’s goal was ruled out for offside. The tempo of the game didn’t change from there. The Mexicans kept pressing on forward with their fast flowing football that inflicted anxiety on Bafana Bafana. Still, the score line was 0-0 at half time.

Second half – 2010 World Cup Hosts South Africa Rise But So Do The Mexicans

Just as he impressed during the 2009 Confederations Cup tournament, Teko Modise performed with passion in the second period. He created many problems for Mexico’s defense with his quick feet and his intelligent moves. One of those included a lovely through ball to Siphiwe Tshabalala who eventually opened fire in the crowd.

The 5 ft 7 in winger finished off a flawless move on the counter attack for South Africa with a thunderbolt goal that saw his name engraved in the history of the World Cup. Siphiwe Tshabalala just became the player to have scored the first ever World Cup goal on African soil. This goal was also quite a way to celebrate his 50th cap under the South African jersey.

Mexico intended to respond quickly after rather than considering giving up. Giovanni dos Santos, arguably the most entertaining player on the field, came up with a firing striker which would have received the public’s praises should it have gone into the net. However, South Africa’s shot stopper Khune acrobatically punched the ball away to save the hosts… at least for some time.

Bafana Bafana had quite a number of chances to score after that. Dikgacoi and Modise both came close to doubling their side’s lead but couldn’t quite find the perfect finish. At the other end of the pitch, it was Barcelona’s Rafael Marquez who responded to Mexican fans’ cries with a good goal from inside the penalty box. At that very moment, anxiety took control over Bafana Bafana.

Only 10 minutes were left to create a miracle. Steven Pienaar, who had kneeled down to receive prayers on his head from the rest of his mates just before kick-off, came off for Bernard Parker after 82 minutes. Perhaps this gave more confidence for veteran play maker Cuauhtemoc Blanco to steal the spotlight. The Mexican substitute, who made his entry on the field in the 68th minute of the game, injected some hope for his team in the dying minutes of the game.

However, it was Katlego Mphela who had the best opportunity to score the battle’s third goal. Mphela tortured Mexico’s defense for some seconds with his stunning pace upfront. But his final shot could only hit the outside of the post. South Africans couldn’t quite believe their eyes. A bit of luck would have seen Mphela steal a hard-fought 89th minute winner for Bafana Bafana.

During the 3 minutes of added, nothing serious happened. The referee blew the final whistle to confirm that Mexico and South Africa had to settle for a point each. France and Uruguay lock horns at 18:30 GMT and both Mexico and South Africa will be hoping for this fixture to end in a draw.