13/06/2026

SPORTS SATURDAY | JUNE 13, 2026

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2026 WORLD CUP

Fiery start Mexico kickoff party in win over South Africa with three red cards M EXICO got the World Cup party started as the co-hosts swept away South Africa 2-0 yesterday in an encounter with three red tournament. But Aguirre’s side were always in con Republic – but Aguirre snuffed out any suggestion that his team were targeting fin ishing first in their group. “We’re zero obsessed to win the group,” he said. “Today we’re just focused on

Jimenez’s tearful celebration for late father

RAUL JIMENEZ provided Mexico with a “very spe cial moment” to kick off the World Cup 2026 for the co-hosts in a 2-0 victory over South Africa, which included three red cards. The Wolves striker, starting in the World Cup for the first time, scored his first goal in the tour nament with a powerful header. Jimenez, who overcame a career-threatening head injury in 2020, was brought to tears after scoring at the Estadio Azteca, doubling the hosts’ lead after Julian Quinones had scored the first goal of the tournament. The 35-year-old was emotional after his father died aged 62 just three months ago, with pundits Thierry Henry and former teammate Javier Hernandez paying tribute to him. Henry told Fox : “Why was he emotional? Because I remember everyone thought his career was over, then he came back but I’m sure he was thinking of his dad. “He was looking at the boxes, and I think he realised his dad was not sitting there and seeing him score at a World Cup at the Estadio Azteca, I’ll be honest, we’re talking about emotion and we already have a mas sive emotional moment.” While Hernandez added that the goal and celebration

trol against a poor South African team and bagged three points that puts them firmly on course for the knockout rounds from Group A. Aguirre though revealed his team had had to set aside some opening day nerves to achieve the result. “When you’re starting out the World Cup, of course your legs will shake,” Aguirre said. “Never in 25 years had any one had any cramps but three of them had cramps today. “We were in awe when we saw the sta dium and they got a little bit of stage fright. But we never suffered. We could have scored four and it would have been com pletely different.” The final minutes of yesterday’s game saw some sections of the restless home crowd boo the World Cup co-hosts. Aguirre said while he hadn’t heard the cat calls, the crowd were entitled to vent. “I didn’t hear boos. But it could have been a 4-0 game … 2-0, is not so much. But we got three points, which is amazing,” Aguirre said. “If someone is booing, it’s the Mexico players’ obligation to make sure that doesn’t happen again. But it didn’t have an impact on us.” Mexico now look ahead to games against South Korea and the Czech

cards as the quadrennial football extrava ganza got underway at the Azteca stadium. Julian Quinones’s early strike set the tone for a dominant Mexican display in the Group A encounter with Raul Jimenez’s header midway through the second half removing any lingering tension for the home crowd and savouring an emotional moment after losing his father recently. Yet the match will be remembered as much for the three dismissals, with South Africa having Sphephelo Sithole sent off early in the second half, with his teammate Themba Zwane following him off the pitch before Mexico’s Cesar Montes was dis missed in the dying moments. The ill-tempered encounter spoiled an otherwise party atmosphere, yet the home crowd got to celebrate an opening victory that will set them up nicely to make it out of a group that also includes South Korea and the Czech Republic. Mexico coach Javier Aguirre revealed his team had overcome a bout of stage fright before clinching their first victory in a World Cup opener. Mexico had never won their opening game of World Cup in seven attempts, registering five defeats and two draws during their previous appearances at the SHAKIRA had the spectators out of their seats at the World Cup opening ceremony yesterday, but outside the Estadio Azteca fans and protesters clashed with police. A crush to get into an over crowded fan zone in the centre of Mexico City and protests near the stadium made for a chaotic day that contrasted with the fes tive atmosphere inside the Azteca. The venerable and now reno vated stadium in the Mexican capital was a fitting venue for the tournament curtainraiser between co-hosts Mexico and South Africa, having staged the World Cup finals in 1970 and 1986. Colombian pop superstar Shakira, who herself is a veteran of past World Cups, lit up the sta dium by partnering with Nigerian Burna Boy to perform Dai Dai , the official song of the tournament, bringing roars from the 80,000 strong crowd. Dancers twirled around a giant model of the World Cup trophy while fireworks streaked across the pitch as the noise lev els ramped up. “It’s already a party in Mexico,” Ingrid Orozco, a 40-year-old supporter, told AFP . “It’s amazing,” said Gustavo Ramirez, 19.

Korea. It’s not relevant. It’s not our priority. Our priority is to focus on Korea, to keep going step by step and prepare for the future.” South Africa coach Hugo Broos mean while had no complaint with the red card that saw Sphephelo Sithole dismissed after halftime, but took issue with the dismissal of substitute Themba Zwane late in the game. “The first red card, I don’t think we have to say something about it but the sec ond red card I think the Mexican player blocked my player, the referee decides something else,”

he said. “So it is a pity that we have to finish this game with nine players. “I think my team played a good game, some moments in the game Mexico even des perate, they didn’t know how to find the spaces.

But we must try and be bet ter in the next game when we

have the ball.” – The Independent/AFP

ensured the co-hosts gained a “very special moment.” The former Manchester United and Real Madrid striker told Fox : “It’s his first goal in a World Cup, his first time starting (at a World Cup) too. “And then with that very special moment, we’re very touched by that, our main striker scores and it means way more than just a goal.”

Shakira, protests as WC kicks off

The local govern ment announced on social media that the site was “full” and urged fans to go to other sites. President Claudia Sheinbaum had been expected to watch the game at the fan zone but instead took in the action from a local sports center fol lowing days of protests in the area by the teach ers, who are demanding pay rises.

That noise got louder as Mexico charged to a dramatic 2 0 win over the overwhelmed South Africans, who had two players sent off. But in the centre of Mexico City, thousands of fans pushed and shoved as they attempted to enter the official World Cup fan zone to watch the game. Access to the area in Zocalo plaza was hampered by metal barriers erected in recent days to prevent protesting teachers reaching the area. “Stop pushing and shoving, there are children here, you’re like animals!” a city official shouted through a megaphone as he tried to control access to the venue where the opening game was shown on a giant screen. Some fans threw water bottles and hurled insults at police as well as chanting in support of the Mexican team. “It took us an hour to get in, it was chaos, and getting out was even worse,” 49-year-old Victor Gomez said, who, along with his partner gave up on watching the match at that venue. “Inside, you can’t even walk, and you can’t see anything; we could only get access to the very last little screen over here.”

Javier Aguirre’s side are in prime position to advance from the group stage now, with an excellent performance fol lowing the opening ceremony, which saw

fellow co-hosts’ USA booed after their flag was displayed at the Estadio Azteca. There was one sour note for Mexico though, with cap tain Cesar Montes’ dismissal late on. Montes was one of three red cards in the match, with Bafana Bafana losing two players as Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane saw red. Next up for Mexico is South Korea on Friday in Guadalajara before rounding off Group A against Czech Republic back in Mexico City on

The teachers, joined by relatives of Mexicans who have gone missing, and student activists gath ered early Thursday outside the stadium. As the match began some protesters breached barriers and exchanged blows with officers guarding the stadium’s perimeter. A handful of youths smashed vehicle windows with bats as police fired tear gas and dis patched mounted officers to cor ral the protesters, who scattered on foot. – AFP

Mexico’s Raul Jimenez celebrates scoring their second goal against South Africa during the World Cup Group A match at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City yesterday, – REUTERSPIC

June 25. – the Independent

Thousands of empty seats in Guadalajara

BY JACK RATHBORN

the ticket prices centred on his belief that the Fifa World Cup was a bigger event than the NBA Finals, which has seen exor bitant prices for the Knicks vs Spurs series. Politicians in New York and New Jersey have launched a formal investigation after allegations fans were left confused by Fifa over the inflated prices of tickets. Complaints centre on a lack of clarity over waiting times in online queues and the eventual prices should fans succeed. – The Independent

matches in recent weeks, while a reported 180,000 tickets remained listed across Fifa’s official resale portals ahead of the tournament. The pricing policy has seen the cheapest standard ticket to the final reach at reported US$5,785 (RM23,150) with some tickets reaching five figures. The issue has clouded the build-up to the tournament, with Fifa even claiming to have received over 500 million book ing requests. While Infantino’s defence surrounding

ference on the eve of the tournament. But during the contest at the Estadio Akron, thousands of empty red seats could be seen throughout the stadium. Despite the match failing to reach a full capacity, the atmosphere remained lively with South Korea and Czech Republic fans heard throughout the con test. Ladislav Krejci had put Czech Republic in front before Hwang In Beom’s equal iser, and Oh Hyeon Gyu’s winner. Fifa opted to cut prices for its 104

THE World Cup 2026 saw thousands of empty seats in just the second match to further raise the controversy surround ing Fifa’s ticket prices for the spectacle. South Korea defeated Czech Republic 2-1 in a gripping Group A contest in Guadalajara. But amid controversy surrounding the ticket prices at the tournament, with Fifa president Gianni Infantino defending the dynamic pricing policy at his press con