South Africa defender Ime Okon has spoken about Bafana Bafana's difficult start to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, urging the squad to shift their focus to the road ahead after a 2-0 defeat to co-hosts Mexico.

A painful opening night

Hugo Broos' side were beaten in their Group A opener on Thursday, with Mexico proving too strong in a contest that swung away from South Africa early. Julián Quiñones opened the scoring in the 5th minute, calmly slotting the ball through Ronwen Williams' legs after Erik Lira won possession from Sphephelo Sithole and fed the forward inside the penalty area.

Raúl Jiménez doubled the lead in the 67th minute, heading home a superb cross from Roberto Alvarado to seal the result. South Africa's misery was compounded when both Sithole and Themba Zwane were sent off, leaving Bafana Bafana to finish the match with nine men.

Okon calls for resolve

Okon, speaking to SportyTV after the final whistle, insisted the squad must not dwell on the loss and must channel their energy into the next fixture.