I want to score the first goal at 2026 World Cup – South Africa midfielder Mohau Nkota

South Africa midfielder Mohau Nkota has set sights on scoring the first goal at the 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament, to be co-hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico.

The Bafana Bafana are paired in Group A against Mexico and South Korea following the draw in Washington DC last Friday. The three teams will be joined by a European qualifying team from the playoff, scheduled for March 2026.

South African will open their World Cup against host country, Mexico, at the iconic Azteca Stadium on June 11, 2026.

This match will be a repeat of the 2010 World Cup opener, where South Africa and Mexico played out a 1-1 draw at FNB Stadium.

However, Nkota, who plies his trade for Al-Ettifaq insists he wants to score the first goal at the global showpiece next year.

“For me, I just go there to score,” Nkota said on SuperSport TV after the 2026 World Cup draw yesterday. I want to score the first goals of the FIFA World Cup.”

“I won’t say its easy teams, they’re all best teams. For us it’s to just go and prove ourselves, raise our hands up and we will do better in the games.”

For the team time, South Africa will focus on the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Morocco, scheduled between December 2025 and January 2026.