Mexico got the World Cup party started when the co-hosts beat South Africa 2-0 in a tie with three red cards on Thursday as the quadrennial football extravaganza began at the Azteca Stadium.
Julian Quinones’s early strike set the stage for a dominant Mexican performance in the Group A clash, with Raul Jimenez’s header midway through the second half removing any tension for the home crowd.
Yet the match will be remembered just as much for three player dismissals, with South Africa sending off Spphelo Sithole early in the second half, with teammate Themba Zwane following him off the field, before Mexico’s César Montes was dismissed in the final moments.