South Africa beat Rwanda in their final qualifying game to top their group and lock in their World Cup 2026 spot. If their unfancied status allowed them to kick off the finals without much pressure on their shoulders, losing the curtain-raiser to Mexico turned up the heat.
Bafana Bafana went down 2-0 at Estadio Azteca, shooting themselves in the foot with an early mix-up and never truly recovering. The night ended with a pair of red cards and subsequent suspensions, which will be served in the second game against Czechia.
