Dikgacoi Finds Encouragement Despite Bafana Setback

Former Bafana Bafana midfielder Kagisho Dikgacoi believes there were plenty of positives to take from South Africa's opening FIFA World Cup defeat to Mexico, insisting the team's fighting spirit should give supporters confidence ahead of the crucial clash against Czechia.

Bafana suffered a 2-0 loss to the tournament hosts in their Group A opener on Thursday, but the result came under difficult circumstances as Hugo Broos' side finished the match with nine men.

Speaking exclusively to the Siya crew, Dikgacoi said he was particularly impressed by the attitude shown by the players despite the adversity they faced during the encounter.

"Yes, I was very impressed with the attitude of the players. When you're playing at a World Cup against the host nation and you end up with two men down, yet only concede two goals, it really shows what it meant to the boys. They didn't want to go there and get embarrassed," Dikgacoi said.

The former international feels the final scoreline does not accurately reflect the effort Bafana put in, especially considering they were forced to navigate much of the contest with a numerical disadvantage.

"In my opinion, we were not embarrassed at all. I think we really tried our best. Obviously, when you're a goal down and then a man down, it's always going to set you back and make it even more difficult to get back into the game."

South Africa's task became even tougher after a second dismissal, leaving them with a mountain to climb against a Mexican side backed by a passionate home crowd.

"Then, when you lose a second player, it becomes an even bigger challenge," he added.

Despite the setback, Dikgacoi believes the character displayed by the squad bodes well for the remainder of the tournament and suggests there is still every reason for optimism heading into the next group-stage fixture.

"But the attitude of the team was very impressive. Everyone tried to contribute as much as they could under difficult circumstances. As much as we lost the match, I don't think the scoreline was that bad for a team that spent a significant part of the game with two men down," said the ex-Fulham star.

Bafana will now turn their attention to Thursday's clash against Czechia, knowing that a positive result could reignite their hopes of progressing to the knockout stages.