HISTORY is not limited to Bafana Bafana’s encounter with Mexico in the first match of the World Cup, but the old days will return for the coach of the local team, Hugo Broos, who played the first match in this famous tournament at the Azteca Stadium, Mexico City, 40 years ago.
Bafana will open the World Cup against Mexico as it happened in 2010, the year South Africa hosted the tournament.
This match will take place on June 11 at 9 pm, at the Azteca Stadium, famous for the miracles of Pele from Brazil and Diego Maradona from Argentina, both of whom have passed away, in different competitions.
Broos, who was Belgium’s stopper, played at the Azteca Stadium for the first time in this tournament where Belgium finished fourth in 1986.
It will be the third time that the stadium in Mexico City will host the World Cup games, which makes it one of the richest stadiums in this tournament that is watched by the whole world.
In the 1970 tournament, Pele won the world title at this stadium, and in 1986, Maradona did the same in Mexico City.
This makes the Azteca Stadium one of the ‘sacred’ stadiums when it comes to the World Cup.
It was in Mexico City that Pele won his third and last world title.
To this day there is still talk about the hand goal that Maradona scored against England in the quarterfinal.
This goal, famous in world football as the hand of God, entered this stadium which should give the Bafana players confidence in their opportunity to make their own World Cup history.
When Broos arrived with Bafana in Mexico, on Tuesday, he spoke to the Sporty TV media team where he revealed that the stadium they will play against Mexico, he also has a long history in it.
“We feel honored because it is a part of this competition after many years of skipping South Africa, so we will do everything we have to fight for the dignity of the country’s football,” said Broos.
“It is good in my heart that 40 years ago I was in Mexico as a Belgian player and we played the first game at the Azteca Stadium. That year we also opened the competition with Mexico.
“The coincidence of things gives me hope that maybe we can do something big in this field.”
Before opening the World Cup with Mexico next week in New Mexico, Bafana will start by playing against Jamaica tomorrow at 9 pm at the stadium in Pachuca, Mexico, where the national team is camping.