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The 2026 World Cup is now well underway, with several groups already beginning to take shape as the tournament progresses.

The competition opened with Mexico hosting South Africa, and fans have already witnessed a few unexpected results – most notably Brazil’s initial struggle to cope with the attacking flair of Morocco.

Not every team has enjoyed a smooth start, however. First-time participants Curacao suffered a heavy 7-1 defeat at the hands of four-time champions Germany.

Among the sides licking their wounds after the opening round of fixtures is South Africa, who on paper suffered a 2-0 loss to Mexico at the iconic Estadio Azteca.

In reality, the margin could have been far worse, especially considering South Africa were hit with two direct red cards during the match.

Former South Africa international Benni McCarthy, who previously served as a coach at Manchester United under Erik ten Hag and played for Blackburn Rovers and West Ham United, did not hold back in his criticism.

“They were horrific,” McCarthy told the BBC’s Mark Chapman while serving as a pundit ahead of the Ivory Coast vs Ecuador clash. “I couldn't believe what I saw. I expected South Africa to come, maybe not beat Mexico, but at least show what we’re capable of — to demonstrate our strengths. But we completely lost our identity.”

South Africa, popularly known as Bafana Bafana, still have fixtures against Czech Republic and South Korea ahead, but their opening display has already left McCarthy deeply concerned.

“When you look at the Czech Republic against South Korea, they clearly targeted South Korea in the air — they were sending in crosses and long throws from all directions: left, right, and centre,” McCarthy analysed.

“They’ve studied South Africa too, and they’ll know we struggle to defend crosses. That’s another avenue they’ll exploit, along with moments of poor marking — just like in the Raul Jimenez goal.”

When asked by Chapman about the public reaction back home, the former striker revealed the extent of disappointment among South African fans.

“People just couldn’t believe that we never really showed what South African football is about,” he admitted.

“And I don’t think we’ll get the chance to do that now, because the team will be focused on avoiding defeats in the next two games. That means we might not play with the freedom and style that defines us.”