South Africa 1-1 Mexico [VIDEO]
South Africa gave up the lead on a goal by Mexico’s Rafael Marquez in the 79th minute and settled for a 1-1 draw Friday before 84,000 horn-blaring fans, whose euphoria over the start of the first World Cup on the continent was only slightly dimmed by the tie.
The match followed a day of celebration throughout all of Africa—though the excitement was tempered by the death of Nelson Mandela’s great-granddaughter in a car accident on the eve of the opener.
Mexico’s Rafael Marquez struck 12 minutes from time to deny hosts South Africa a winning start to the World Cup at Soccer City in Johannesburg.
Marquez controlled Andres Guardado’s cross at the back post and rifled past Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune to ensure the spoils were shared after a breathless opening to the tournament.
The Mexicans were the better team throughout, but they fell behind when Siphiwe Tshabalala fired in a left-foot thunderbolt from an angle on the left to give the hosts a lead in which their supporters revelled.
In an atmosphere bordering on ecstasy in Johannesburg, Tshabalala’s screamer threatened to provide the 19th World Cup with the fairytale beginning it was hoping for, before Marquez and Mexico intervened.
Even then, South Africa coach Carlos Alberto Parreira saw his team almost snatch it in the dying moments, only for striker Katlego Mphela to agonisingly roll a shot against the post with keeper Oscar Perez beaten.
Yet over the 90 minutes, Parreira and his side were perhaps lucky to get away with a draw themselves in front of a partisan 84,490 crowd as Mexico failed to turn their startling superiority into victory.
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