Benni McCarthy blasts Hugo Broos' cautious tactics after Bafana's World Cup setback

South Africa returned to football's biggest stage at a packed Estadio Azteca on Thursday night but struggled to impose themselves against the tournament co-hosts, who capitalised on key mistakes to secure all three points in their Group A opener.

For McCarthy, the biggest disappointment was not the result itself, but what he saw as a lack of ambition from the outset.

Broos elected to leave Orlando Pirates stars Oswin Appollis and Relebohile Mofokeng on the bench, preferring a more conservative setup with Lyle Foster and Iqraam Rayners leading the attack. Appollis, who scored four goals during South Africa's qualifying campaign, was only introduced late in the match, while Mofokeng remained an unused substitute.

"We already started off so negative with a defensive shape, and leaving two players up front," McCarthy said on SportyTV.

"So the two players are supposed to play against their back four, and the two midfielders that are incoming.

"Because, like, right from the off, we had Lyle, who was in the opposition half, and Iqraam, and every other single player was in our own half. So when were we going to get out of our half, you understand?"

The former Bafana captaincy candidate and all-time leading scorer argued that South Africa failed to give their most creative players the platform to influence the contest.

"I hope they go and they analyse this game properly, where it went wrong, and then we don't deprive ourselves as a nation, having all our flair players not getting even an opportunity to play," he said.

"You know, when the game is over and then you bring in players, that's going to do absolutely nothing. So, I think he got it totally wrong."

McCarthy was equally critical of the sequence that led to Mexico's opening goal. Goalkeeper Ronwen Williams attempted to play out from the back, but Sphephelo Sithole was dispossessed near his own penalty area, allowing Julián Quiñones to punish the mistake.

"We take up a good position, trying to play out from the back, but then, just look at that. It's almost like Mexico set up that trap for us to play there," said McCarthy.

"And then if you're going to, and for Ronwen's sake, if you're going to play there, make sure that the player is aware of what's going on behind him.

"You know, you go one-nil down in that crucial stage, and then it's just downhill from there."