Why Was Africa Rooting Against South Africa?

South Africa’s World Cup opener against Mexico was supposed to be a moment of continental unity. Instead, as Bafana Bafana struggled under the lights of the Estadio Azteca, many African football fans appeared to be cheering for Mexico rather than their fellow Africans.

The reason had little to do with football.

Across social media, old conversations about xenophobia resurfaced. Fans from across the continent referenced past attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa, with some openly admitting they could not bring themselves to support Bafana Bafana despite them being Africa’s representative on the opening night of the tournament.

But while the online debate raged, the football itself told a different story.

Mexico were simply the better team.

From the opening whistle, the hosts looked sharper, faster and more organized. South Africa struggled to create meaningful chances and spent long periods chasing the game as Mexico controlled key moments of the match. Julián Quiñones opened the scoring early before veteran striker Raúl Jiménez added another as Mexico cruised to a comfortable 2-0 victory. The game eventually descended into chaos, with three red cards shown and South Africa finishing the match with nine men.

For many neutrals, the defeat had less to do with bad luck and more to do with the gulf in quality on display. Mexico looked like a side capable of making a serious run in the tournament, while South Africa now face serious questions about whether they can recover and challenge for qualification from Group A.

Still, the reaction online revealed that football is often about more than football. For some African fans, the result became an opportunity to revisit broader frustrations that have little to do with what happens on the pitch. Whether fair or unfair, South Africa’s relationship with the rest of the continent remains a talking point that follows the national team wherever it goes.

Elsewhere in Group A, Korea Republic produced the tournament’s first major comeback. After falling behind to a Ladislav Krejčí header in the 59th minute, the Koreans responded through Hwang In-beom before substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu completed the turnaround with the winner in the 80th minute. Led by Son Heung-min and a dominant midfield display, Korea controlled possession, created more chances and deserved their 2-1 victory over Czechia, moving level on points with Mexico at the top of the group.