Andrew Thompson·11 June 2026

🟥 Sphephelo Sithole joins throwback duo after seeing red vs Mexico

South Africa have it all to do against Mexico in the opener of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Going down a goal inside the opening ten minutes, thanks to a tidy finish from Julián Quiñones, already looked to be a bridge too far for Hugo Broos' Bafana Bafana.

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But it would only get worse for the African nation after the break to kick-start their fourth-ever World Cup appearance.

Holding midfielder Sphephelo Sithole was judged to have brought down Brian Gutiérrez while denying a clear goalscoring opportunity, forcing head official Wilton Sampaio to produce a red card, sending the 27-year-old to an early bath.

With that, Sithole joined Côte d'Ivoire's Cyrille Domoraud (against Serbia in 2006) and Czechia's Tomás Ujfaluši (against Ghana in 2006) as just the third player to commit an error leading to a goal while also receiving a red card in the same match.

Now down by two goals on the day, thanks to a header from Raul Jiménez, South Africa's summer campaign could be over before it truly has begun.

📸 Carl Recine - 2026 Getty Images

  • South Africa
  • Mexico
  • Tondela
  • FIFA World Cup™
  • Sphephelo Sithole

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Source: Onefootball.com