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It starts at the Azteca: Mexico open against South Africa

11 Jun · 1 min read
It starts at the Azteca: Mexico open against South Africa

The tournament opens where a lot of football history already lives. Mexico play South Africa at the Estadio Azteca on June 11, and the old place has done this before, in 1970 and 1986.

Group A won't be kind for long. South Africa are quick and awkward to play against, and Korea Republic and Czechia are still to come. A home opener is a strange thing anyway, half party and half exam, and the exam usually wins the nerves.

There is no neutral game at the Azteca.

South Africa arrive with nothing to lose, which is exactly the opponent a host nation dreads when the whole country is watching.