Disappointment swept through viewing venues across South Africa (SA) as Bafana Bafana suffered a bitter defeat to Mexico in their opening FIFA World Cup encounter in Mexico City on Thursday night.
Supporters watched every moment of the match with passion and anticipation, filling venues with cheers, songs and South African flags.
While the result was not what these fans in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape province, had hoped for, many remained behind after the final whistle, expressing confidence in the team’s ability to bounce back.
“I think that at the end of the match we have to as a country reflect on this , we haven’t been in the world cup in the last 16 years and also we respected the opponents too much.”
“That second red card was , it really got to me because you moved into a place and then you dived as the Mexican player and the SA player gets a red card , what are the rules ? The rules are becoming subjective now,” says another supporter.
Mexico got the World Cup party started as the co-hosts swept away SA 2-0 on Thursday in an encounter with three red cards as the quadrennial football extravaganza got underway at the Azteca stadium.
–SABC–
