Bafana Bafana are taken through their paces during a training session ahead of their Fifa World Cup match against Mexico on Thursday night.
Welcome to IOL Sport's blow-by-blow coverage as we build up towards the biggest match in South African football history.
The wait is finally over as Bafana Bafana are set to take on co-hosts Mexico in the opening match of the 2026 Fifa World Cup at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on Thursday night (9pm kickoff).
After a gruelling, high-stakes qualification campaign, Hugo Broos and his band of Bafana brothers go into the match as massive underdogs as the lowest ranked team in Group A. In fact, the stats gurus are giving the South Africans just a 7% chance of qualifying for the knockout stage.
Throughout the afternoon, we will bring you the live updates, instant expert analysis, and breaking news as Bafana's World Cup journey starts right here.
