South Africa defender Ime Okon has expressed confidence that Bafana Bafana will recover strongly from their opening defeat at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

South Africa suffered a 2–0 loss to Mexico at the Mexico City Stadium on Thursday night, with goals from Julian Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez sealing victory for the co-hosts.

Despite the setback, Okon insisted the team remains positive and focused on upcoming matches.

“It was a tough game, we had them at times. We just look forward, we’re positive. We know it’s a loss but we’re looking to the next game now,” he told SportyTV after the match.

He stressed the importance of moving past the defeat quickly as the team prepares for its next group fixture.

South Africa will now turn attention to their second group game against the Czech Republic, scheduled to take place at the Atlanta Stadium.