The pundits' reaction to the opening match of the tournament said it all
Benni McCarthy
Benni McCarthy couldn't bring himself to speak after South Africa's defeat(Image: Sporty TV/X)
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Former Manchester United pair Benni McCarthy and Quinton Fortune were rendered speechless on live television following South Africa's catastrophic start to the World Cup.
Mexico strolled to a 2-0 triumph in the tournament curtain-raiser courtesy of strikes from Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez, while South Africa ended with nine players. Bafana-Bafana fell behind inside 10 minutes when Sphephelo Sithole was dispossessed on the edge of his area by Erik Lira.
The ball dropped to Quinones, who fired a low effort through the legs of goalkeeper Ronwen Williams. Sithole's wretched afternoon was completed when he received a red card for fouling Brian Gutierrez just outside the box early in the second half.
Mexico sealed the win when Roberto Alvarado crossed for Jimenez to nod home. South Africa substitute Themba Zwane was subsequently dismissed following a VAR check for seemingly striking Alvarado in the face late on as the duo clashed.
Brazilian official Wilton Sampaio brandished one further red, dismissing Mexico's Cesar Montes in added time for a tackle on Khuliso Mudau. South Africa's grim start to the tournament was encapsulated by the response of McCarthy and Fortune, who were providing analysis for Sporty TV.
With the pair gazing vacantly ahead, the presenter enquired: "OK, what do we say? What went wrong in this game?" Cue further silence and discomfort before the programme cut away to a break.
Despite the evident frustration of McCarthy, who previously coached at United, and Fortune, who played for the club between 1999 and 2006, South Africa boss Hugo Broos remains convinced his team can progress from the group.
The Belgian said: "In a tournament you never have to think too far. We want to survive the group stages and it's still possible.
Benni McCarthy
McCarthy during his coaching stint at United(Image: Matthew Peters, Manchester United via Getty Images)
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"The start was not good, it wasn't what we expected, but we need to get the points in the next two games, and then we will see."
Broos felt the red card for Zwane was "a little bit soft," adding: "It was the Mexican player who blocked my player."
The other fixture in Group A saw South Korea overturn a deficit to defeat the Czech Republic 2-1. South Africa next meet Korea in the early hours of Thursday morning UK time.