Hugo Broos: Two 'critical mistakes' cost Bafana Bafana in FIFA World Cup opener

The 74-year-old tactician also voiced his frustration over one of the refereeing decisions that left his side with only nine players on the field by the final whistle.

While Broos accepted the first dismissal involving South Africa, he argued that a Mexican player committed the original foul in the incident that resulted in veteran playmaker Themba Zwane being sent off.

Midfielder Sphephelo Sithole was the other Bafana Bafana player shown a red card, while Mexico captain Cesar Montes was also dismissed.

"I think the first red card, I won't say anything about," Broos said at his post-match press conference.

"But with the second red card, I think the Mexican player fouled my player. The referee decided something else. It is a massive pity we had to finish the game with nine players."

Playing in front of an estimated 85,000 largely partisan supporters in a deafening Mexico City atmosphere, South Africa endured a nervous start before settling into the match.

Broos maintained his team were not intimidated by the occasion and said they controlled significant periods of the contest.

"When you play a opening match against the tournament hosts, you know you will be under immense pressure. But the only moment we were genuinely under pressure was in the first 20 minutes. After that, we dominated the ball and played well," he added.

However, he stopped short of blaming the defeat solely on officiating, admitting defensive errors allowed Mexico to exploit space during transitions and claim all three points.

"We made two critical mistakes on our side," said Broos. "In those specific moments, you simply cannot afford to lose possession. We turned the ball over, which left immediate space for Mexico, and they were clinical enough to score twice."

South Africa now turn their attention to upcoming Group A fixtures against South Korea and Czechia.