After a day of carnival celebrations in Johannesburg, South Africa's players left the field looking downbeat and demoralised after a late double blow in their World Cup opener against Mexico. Not only had Rafael Marquez's party-pooping 78th-minute goal cancelled out Siphiwe Tshabalala's wondrous opener, but with seconds left star striker Katlego Mhpela saw his shot almost unbearably strike the post.
As keeper Itumeleng Khune knelt prone on the floor and his team-mates collectively trudged off the pitch, they had the look of a side whose World Cup dream was already over.
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