Mexico vs South Africa: Ex-FIFA official disagrees with Themba Zwane red card decision
Mexico beat South Africa in the opener of the 2026 World Cup as Wilton Sampaio handed out three red cards on Thursday.
The Azteca saw the co-hosts beat Bafana Bafana, who had two players sent off at either end of the second half.
In the 84th minute, after a VAR review, Themba Zwane was given his marching orders for what was deemed "serious foul play" against Roberto Alvarado.
Former FIFA official Keith Hackett believes the South African midfielder's actions didn't warrant a red card after his arm struck the opposition player's face.
Mexico also saw a player get sent off in stoppage time as Cesare Montes was deemed to have denied a goalscoring opportunity.
El Tri ended up winning 2-0 after goals from Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez to take the initiative in Group A.
Keith Hackett issues verdict on Mexico vs South Africa red card
Speaking to Football Insider, Hackett shared that Zwane's actions were illegal, opening it up to scrutiny from VAR.
The 36-year-old certainly can't have any complaints about the foul being given against him, but according to the former Premier League referee, his reckless action wasn't "serious foul play" and warranted a yellow card at most.
Hackett said: "Whilst the red card issued might be deemed to be 'soft', the South African player used his hand/arm in an illegal manner, opening up the VAR intervention.
"My view is that this red card did not meet the criteria for serious foul play. At most, the action was reckless, and a yellow card would have been appropriate."
World Cup fans will hope Mexico vs South Africa doesn't set precedent
Hackett has told Football Insider that the weather shouldn't be an issue at the World Cup after some disruptions during recent friendlies due to FIFA's excellent planning.
There has been plenty of controversy around the USA being one of the co-hosts, and fans will now wonder whether the officiating at the tournament will be up to par.
Supporters will certainly hope that the opening game doesn't set a precedent for harsh sending-offs in the upcoming fixtures, as plenty of changes are set to come into force regarding officiating in the tournament to avoid time-wasting.