South Africa: Ime Okon refuses to panic after the setback against Mexico

South African defender Ime Okon has called on his teammates to quickly turn the page after the loss to Mexico (2-0) on Thursday night in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup. Facing one of the host countries in a stadium filled with local supporters, the Bafana Bafana fell to a more realistic Mexican team. Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez secured the victory for Mexico, already placing South Africa in a delicate situation in Group A.

Despite this setback, Okon prefers to focus on the positive aspects of the South African performance and assures that the team remains fully committed for the rest of the tournament. “It was a tough match. We had good sequences and moments where we managed to impose our game. We must now look ahead and stay positive. Of course, this defeat hurts, but our focus is already on the next match,” the defender told SportyTV after the game.

The men of Hugo Broos can no longer afford to make mistakes. Their next match against the Czech Republic, scheduled for Atlanta, is already crucial in the race for qualification to the round of 16. Another poor performance would seriously jeopardize South Africa’s chances of continuing their World Cup journey.