The opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America was always destined for the history books. Over 1.42 billion live viewers tuned in globally, while a roaring crowd of 80,824 packed the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
It was absolute “carnage” on the day, as the bruising encounter between co-hosts Mexico and South Africa ended in a 2–0 victory for El Tri and featured an astounding three red cards.
As spectacular as the action was on the turf, a serious storm was brewing on social media as people followed the game.
As South Africa’s Bafana Bafana fought to contain a relentless Mexican onslaught, the vast majority of Black African football fans were vigorously rooting for Mexico, snubbing the continent’s representatives.
Africans went wild when Julian Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez found the back of the net, and when the referee flashed red cards to South Africa’s Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane.
This was a classic in hate-watching, weaponized by deep-seated regional hostilities in Africa.
Understanding the “Hate-Watch” Culture
In modern football, hate-watching has matured into a celebrated hobby. It refers to tuning into a match entirely dedicated to the downfall of a specific team, usually fueled by rivalries.
We see it constantly in the English Premier League. For instance, when Arsenal’s top-flight title victory looked almost certain, a massive coalition of rival fans, who would otherwise never support Manchester City, coalesced around the formidable Cityzens simply to stop the Gunners.
But what happened during the World Cup opener went beyond the lighthearted tribalism of club football. This was a deeply emotional, cross-border pushback against a South African nation accused of betraying the pan-African spirit.
Boiling Hostilities Around Xenophobic Attacks in South Africa
The shocking passion across the continent to see South Africa fail is squarely pegged on a bitter, ongoing immigration crisis. In recent months, foreigners living in South Africa, most notably from Nigeria, Ghana, and Zimbabwe, have found themselves on the receiving end of societal exclusion and deadly xenophobic attacks.
A now viral phrase, “Go beck to your country”, is heavily circulating on social media commentary and is attributed to native South African factions who accuse fellow African immigrants of being in the country illegally and taking away local jobs, sparking violent, targeted unrest.
The rest of the continent has watched this recurring cycle of attacks with growing fury. For nations like Ghana, the situation has become extremely emotive. Decades ago, these very countries stood in solidarity with South Africa, spending resources and offering refuge to fight the then-infamous apartheid regime. To see their citizens now targeted in the democratic era feels like a profound betrayal.
Angered African online users have openly accused South Africans of adopting an “elitist” attitude. Many argued that the hostility directed at other Black Africans is reminiscent of the structural superiority complexes of the apartheid era, where raw hatred saw the torment of millions of native Black South Africans.
Trolls ruthlessly mocked the Bafana Bafana squad on X and TikTok, telling the team to pack their bags and “go back to Amapiano.” Others declared that if South Africa played a match in an empty stadium, they would proudly support the stadium.
The two red cards issued to South African players were celebrated as cosmic justice for a nation they feel has closed its doors to its neighbors. The party continued even when Mexico’s César Montes received a late red card.
The 2026 World Cup opener proved once again that football never exists in a vacuum. What happens on the pitch reflects geopolitical tiffs and overall tensions between the societies involved.
