Yaya Sithole's World Cup opener against Mexico turned into a nightmare after WhoScored recorded him as the lowest-rated outfield player in their tournament database.
South Africa lost 2-0 to Mexico at Estadio Azteca, but Sithole's individual performance became one of the biggest talking points after the game.
That is partly because the match itself was already chaotic. Three players were sent off, Mexico took control of Group A early, and South Africa left with both a defeat and selection problems.
Photo by Yuri CORTEZ / AFP via Getty Images
As WhoScored reported, Sithole was given a 4.26 rating, the lowest mark by an outfield player in a World Cup match since the site began collecting data.
The number looks harsh at first glance, but the reasons are clear. Sithole made an error that led to Mexico's opening goal and was later sent off early in the second half.
Julián Quiñones punished South Africa in the ninth minute, giving Mexico the perfect start in front of a fired-up home crowd.
Sithole's night then got worse after halftime when he brought down Brian Gutierrez near the edge of the penalty area. The referee showed a straight red card for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity.
That dismissal left South Africa chasing the game with 10 men, and Mexico eventually made the advantage count when Raúl Jiménez scored the second in the 67th minute.
WhoScored's ratings heavily punish decisive errors, red cards, and actions that directly hurt a team's control of the match. Sithole had all of those marks against him in less than an hour.
The wider match was not only about one player. Themba Zwane was also sent off for South Africa after a video review, while Mexico defender César Montes saw red in stoppage time.
That made it the first World Cup opener to feature three straight red cards, an unusually wild start to the tournament.
Mexico now have three points and a plus-two goal difference, with South Korea next on June 18 in Guadalajara.
South Africa face Czechia the same day in Atlanta, and Sithole's suspension creates an immediate midfield problem.
For South Africa, the only useful response is practical. They have to fix the midfield, absorb the suspensions, and make sure one damaging opener does not define the tournament.
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