Mexico End Opening-Match Curse with Win in World Cup Opener
Darwin, 12 June : Mexico finally broke their long-standing curse in FIFA World Cup opening matches, defeating South Africa 2-0 at the Azteca Stadium to…
Darwin, 13 June : A day earlier, Mexico hosted a grand opening ceremony in Mexico City for the World Cup. In the opening match, the hosts also secured a victory.
On Friday night, another spectacular opening ceremony was held in Toronto, one of this year’s co-hosts Canada. However, the home team could not secure a win. In fact, they narrowly avoided defeat.
Canada drew 1–1 against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto after falling behind in the first half.
This is Canada’s third World Cup appearance. However, a World Cup win still remains elusive for the North American side. This was also their first-ever draw on the world stage.
Bosnia, returning to the World Cup after 12 years, took the lead in the 21st minute through Jovo Lukić. They held onto the lead until halftime.
Canada tried to get back into the game but repeatedly failed to find a breakthrough. Eventually, they found the net late in the match.
In the 78th minute, ‘super sub’ Cyle Larin equalised for Canada. He scored just two minutes after coming on as a substitute. The match eventually ended with both teams sharing the points.