Sixteen years exactly today, South Africa became the first country in the continent to host and kick off the 2010 FIFA World Cup in Johannesburg’s Soccer City.
On that cold June 11 afternoon in 2010, Siphiwe Tshabalala’s left boot sent a rocket into the top corner of Mexico net at Soccer City for the first goal of the tournament.
It wasn’t just a goal. It was Goal for South Africa! Goal for all of Africa!”
Exactly 16 years later, South Africa and Mexico are locked to face each other once again in a World Cup opening fixture. This time it is the Mexicans who as co-host of the 2026 edition, are taking on Bafana Bafana at the 87,523 capacity Estadio Banorte in Mexico City.
For Tshabalala, the eventual 1-1 draw with Mexico 16 years ago,felt like a win.
“It was very exciting. I didn’t expect it—it felt like a moment of déjà vu, almost like a return leg in Mexico,” Tshabalala told SuperSport during the week.
“I am really looking forward to the match. It is the kind of game that will attract a lot of attention and excitement, with high expectations. We will go into the game as underdogs, which means there will be more pressure on Mexico to deliver. However, I am strongly optimistic that we can cause an upset.
“I have had many highlights in my career, but the World Cup stands out as one of the most significant experiences.
He insisted that nothing compares with the World Cup.
“There is nothing bigger than the FIFA World Cup; it is the biggest stage in football. To have the opportunity to play, perform well, and even score while the world is watching is truly remarkable. I hope one of our players gets to experience that feeling.”
Looking at the wider global landscape, Shabalala expects the traditional powerhouses like Spain, France, and England to challenge, but he has a keen eye on romantic endings and African disruption.
“It could be a strong tournament for Africa. Ghana is back, Senegal has a strong squad, and it would be encouraging to see African teams reach the knockout stages. Once you reach that stage, anything can happen,” Shabba notes.
He however stressed not to rule out defending champions Argentina.
“And you still have Argentina, the defending champions… and Portugal. I think this might be Cristiano Ronaldo’s last shot at the World Cup. He deserves something. Messi got that reward, and it really did justice to his career and everything he has done for football.”
FIXTURES
TODAY June 11
Mexico v South Africa (8pm)
FRIDAY June 12
S’Korea v Czech (3am)
Canada v Bosnia & Herz 8pm
SATURDAY June 13
USA v Paraguay (2am)
Qatar v Switzerland (8pm)
Brazil v Morocco (11pm)
SUNDAY June 14
Haiti v Scotland (2am)
Australia v Turkey (5am)
Germany v Curaçao (6pm)
Netherlands v Japan (9pm)
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