“Go back to your country” – Nigerian fans react to South Africa’s loss to Mexico in World Cup opener

Sphephelo Sithole of South Africa. Copyright: ImagoHeulerxAndrey/DiaEsportivo

Nigerian football fans took to social media to share their thoughts following South Africa’s dismal 2-0 defeat to Mexico in the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday, Soccernet.ng reports.

​The tournament began in dramatic fashion at the Estadio Banorte as joint-hosts Mexico faced off against South Africa. Mexico dominated the proceedings from the opening whistle, securing a well-deserved victory.

Julian Quiñones etched his name into football history by scoring the tournament’s opening goal. He capitalized on a defensive mistake from Ime Okon and rifled a low effort into the bottom-left corner. Still, Bafana Bafana struggled to gain a foothold, and their situation worsened significantly in the 49th minute when defender Yaya Sithole was sent off.

That red card gave El Tri the momentum they needed to control the game, and they eventually doubled their lead through Raúl Jiménez.

​The final ten minutes were chaotic; Themba Zwane was dismissed for elbowing an opponent, and Mexico’s César Montes was also shown a red card for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity (DOGSO). The match ended with a record-breaking three red cards, the most ever issued in a single World Cup game.

Soccer ​How Nigerian Football Fans Reacted to South Africa’s World Cup Loss

​For many Nigerians, the bitterness surrounding the Super Eagles’ absence—largely due to their failure to beat South Africa in their qualifying group—turned the match into a proper hate-watch. The recent spate of xenophobic attacks in South Africa also did not help their case.

Nigerian fans did not hesitate to revel in the Bafana Bafana’s struggles, quickly taking to social media to banter their rivals.

​”We clearly had an agent inside the South African team, though I kept quiet about it,” Tokoni Iderima of Football Fans Tribe said .

“Ime Okon, thank you for your service; you’re a Nigerian boy, and we know what you did. South Africa, I told you to go back home. You already know your World Cup journey is over after one game.”

​Another fan account, Let’s Talk Football, was equally scathing: “South African players need koboko [a whip]. How do you break a 20-year-old record by collecting two red cards? In 80 minutes, they managed only four shots while accumulating two red cards and two yellow cards. Is that a professional team?”

​The critic continued, “I said it: they will be the first African team to head home. They were completely disorganized and insisted on playing out from the back, which simply didn’t work. If not for [Ronwen] Williams, the scoreline could have been embarrassing. They played rubbish. This is not Amapiano; this is football.”

​Meanwhile, another social media user, The 97th King commented on the gulf in class: “This game should have ended 4-0 at least. It looked like a junior secondary school team playing against seniors. South African fans were bragging before the game; I dare them to come outside now.”

​Jacklyn Ihuoma added a note of irony regarding the South African-based Nigerian defender: “This Nigerian defender, Okon, you’re doing well. Forgive us for shouting at you for choosing South Africa over Nigeria. You are representing us well—ride on!”

​Finally, Adika’s Takes gave a harsh critique of the South African setup: “Nigerians didn’t qualify for this World Cup, but we are certainly happier than the South Africans who did. You went to the World Cup with local champions who are used to playing against Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns. How can they survive on this stage?

​”That was a horrible performance. Hugo Broos went with haram tactics, playing five at the back, yet failing to string five passes together. They couldn’t even get out of their own half. It was an embarrassment—come back home! You cannot represent Africa like this.

“The only thing in their heads is Amapiano. I’m sure they were thinking more about the dance moves they’d perform if they scored rather than actually playing football. It isn’t a World Cup campaign; it is an excursion.”

Up next for South Africa is a fixture against Czech Republic, who lost their own opening game against South Korea. Hugo Broos and his boys will be looking to claim the maximum three points from that game and remain in contention for a place in the knockout rounds.

Kelvin Omachonu

Kelvin Omachonu is a professional football columnist and sports writer with over half a decade of experience covering major events and delivering captivating, analytically-driven stories.
A graduate of the University of Ibadan, he is fueled by a profound dedication to sports journalism and the beautiful game. His insights have previously been featured in respected outlets, including IndyPress UI, UCJ UI Newshive NG, Sportpremi, and a few others.
Away from work, Kelvin is an avid fan of basketball, enjoys a great movie, and is always discovering new music.