The opening game of the World Cup would be a Group A encounter between co-hosts Mexico and South Africa to be played on the 12th June at the Estadio Banorte in Mexico City.
For the game, here we present our preview and prediction.
Group A is a tough group with South Korea and Czechia also fighting for a spot in the next round and hence, it’s important for both teams to make a winning start.
On paper, Mexico is the stronger team with home advantage and the fans supporting them in huge numbers. South Africa arrives in this group as the underdogs as the remaining teams are all stronger than them. Mexico has played South Africa only twice before and the last time these two teams met was at the 2010 World Cup opening game which ended in a 1-1 draw. However, El-Tri would like to win at home and set the record straight.
Mexico didn’t have to go through the grind of qualification as they were granted automatic qualification as co-hosts. Hence, they have had plenty of rest and preparation through friendlies and Concacaf games but haven’t had many high-stakes encounters.
As for South Africa, they did participate in the CAF qualification games to qualify for the World Cup after a long hiatus. They topped their World Cup qualifying group with five wins, three draws and two losses in ten games.
As for the key players in the two teams, Raul Jimenez and Alexis Vega are going to be crucial for Mexico while Relebohile Mofokeng and Lyle Foster hold the key for South Africa. As for injuries, César Montes could be doubtful for Mexico while Aubrey Modiba could be unavailable for South Africa.
Since the stadium is at a relatively higher altitude, South African players could be affected by the conditions and Mexico would look to dominate the possession and tempo of the game. With a superior squad, home support and the advantage of the conditions, Mexico should open their World Cup campaign with a comfortable win over South Africa.
Score Prediction: Mexico 2–0 South Africa
Venue: Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
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