2026 World Cup: Why we lost to Mexico – South Africa captain, Williams

South Africa captain Ronwen Williams has urged his teammates not to lose faith in their World Cup campaign despite suffering a 2-0 defeat to Mexico in the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday.
Bafana Bafana endured a difficult evening at a packed Estadio Azteca, conceding an early goal to Julian Quinones before Raul Jimenez sealed victory for the hosts in the second half. South Africa also finished the match with nine men following the dismissals of Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane.
Reflecting on the defeat, Williams admitted that South Africa’s plans were disrupted by the early breakthrough.
“You don’t want to concede in the first 20 minutes, and that’s what exact...