Hosts botch up golden start

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South Africa 1 Mexico 1

For 80 minutes the vuvuzelas never went quiet, and then in an instant, absolute silence. The trumpets would blow again, but, the disappointment was writ large on the faces of the expectant fans.

afael Marquez’s 79th minute strike rescued a 1-1 draw for Mexico against hosts South Africa in the opening match of 2010 Fifa World Cup in front of 84,490 rapturous Bafana Bafana fans at the Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg on Friday.
Siphiwe Tshabalala became the toast of an entire nation with the first goal of this World Cup in the 55th minute, but Barcelona defender Marquez’s late strike put paid to Bafana Bafana hopes.
Mexico were handed a golden opportunity to go ahead in just the second minute of the match. Bafana Bafana goalie Itumeleng Khune made a hash of a regulation cross from the right flank. The net-minder failed to collect the ball, and it fell nicely for Giovani Dos Santos. However, the Galatasary frontman shot straight into the defender as the ball deflected off for a corner.
The former Barcelona striker was in the thick of things again in the 19th minute as he stole the ball at the centre line and burst goalwards with three defenders giving chase. With none of them closing him down, Dos Santos took aim from just outside the box, but his effort drifted just wide.
Mexico striker Guillermo Franco had a couple of great chances to put his side ahead, but luck was not on his side.
In the 32nd minute he controlled a high ball brilliantly on his chest but shot straight at the defender.
Mexico finally put the ball into the back of the net, in the 38th minute, but Carlos Vela’s tap-in off a corner kick was somewhat contentiously ruled offside considering the fact that a South African defender was standing on the goal-line.
Given a lucky reprieve, South Africa closed out the session in Mexico’s half and won a succession of corner kicks. The moment everyone had been waiting for finally arrived in the 55th minute. A brilliant through ball from Kagisho Dikagoi released Tshabalala in acres of space on the left-flank and the 26-year-old made no mistake striking a left-footed rocket past a baffled Mexico goalkeeper Oscar Perez and into the top-right corner of the goal.
Teko Modise had a chance to finish off the match in the 66th minute but from a few yards out he shot to the wrong side of the post.
Marquez made the South Africans pay for that miss in the 79th minute. A brilliant cross from Andres Guardado on the left-flank sailed over the head of South African skipper Aaron Mokoena to an unmarked Marquez, who took a second to control the ball and showed the composure of a marksman to slot the ball cooly past Khune.
South Africa had one final chance to win the match. In the final minute, a direct long ball released Katlego Mphela, but the burly striker’s left-footer hit the woodwork and bounced away.