Washington, Dec. 6 -- Mexico manager Javier Aguirre said Friday his team's status as a 2026 World Cup co-host would not make it any easier to reach the tournament's knockout stages.
Mexico will face South Africa in the curtain raiser at Azteca Stadium on June 11 in a repeat of the 2010 World Cup opener in Johannesburg.
Friday's World Cup draw in Washington also pitted Aguirre's team in the same group with South Korea and a yet-to-be-determined European qualifier.
"It's a curious anecdote to repeat the Johannesburg opener," Aguirre, who was also Mexico's manager in 2010, told reporters after the draw.
"Facing South Africa at the Azteca, then South Korea in Guadalajara, plus the playoff opponent; I think it's good for having a solid first...