World Cup: Mexico boss Javier Aguirre demands more after opening win over South Africa

Mexico coach Javier Aguirre was delighted his side had started their World Cup campaign with a win, but said there was still work to do after Thursday’s 2-0 victory over South Africa.

Goals from Julino Quiones and Ral Jimenez handed the co-hosts all three points in front of a packed home crowd, but Aguirre felt Mexico’s lead on the night did not reflect Mexico’s dominance.

“It was a 2-0 game. It could have been 4-0 and nobody would say otherwise,” Aguirre told reporters. “The fans are happy with 2-0 but they would have been much happier with 4-0. The important thing is that we have three points.”

FIFA WORLD CUP 2026, MEXICO VS SOUTH AFRICA: MAIN DATA

The opportunity to start the World Cup at the Azteca seemed to weigh on some of Mexico’s players. Aguirre said the magnitude of the moment led to nerves, which showed in misplaced passes and even physical fatigue.

“It’s a brutal setup, it kind of shakes your legs,” Aguirre said. “Making simple passing mistakes put a heavy strain on them. We’ve never had a player cramp in 25 games and we’ve had three here. It’s an emotional issue.”

Mexico dominated possession and territory for long periods but could not turn that control into a bigger lead. Quiones opened the scoring after capitalizing on a defensive error, while Jimnez headed home Mexico’s second in the 67th minute after a cross from Roberto Alvarado.

Jimnez’s goal brought more emotion as the striker broke down in tears during the celebration and dedicated the moment to his father, who passed away recently.

South Africa’s task became even more difficult after midfielder Sphephelo Sithole was sent off early in the second half for a challenge on Brian Gutierrez. The visitors were reduced to nine men when Themba Zwane was sent off for violent conduct in the closing stages.

Despite the numerical advantage, Aguirre felt that Mexico was making life more difficult for them than was necessary.

“We didn’t play well in the first half. It could easily have ended 3-0,” he said. “We had the upper hand, but the score didn’t reflect it. We made it difficult for ourselves. We were overconfident after the second goal. We have to improve, but it was a good game.”

The victory ended Mexico’s seven-game wait to win their World Cup opener, but Aguirre’s attention quickly turned to the next challenge against South Korea in Guadalajara on 18 June.

“Right now, the most important game is against Korea,” Aguirre said. “We are focusing on Korea, on being better than them, step by step.

Mexico are also expected to regroup their defense after Csar Montes was sent off. Aguirre hinted that captain Edson Lvarez is likely to move to central defense for the next game.

Mexico will conclude their campaign in Group A against the Czech Republic on June 24.

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Issued by:

Saurabh Kumar

Published on:

12 Jun 2026 06:40 IST