Bafana Bafana are appearing at a fourth World Cup but have yet to advance past the group stages, though in their last two finals in 2002 and 2010, they managed four points, which will be more than enough this time around with the expanded 48-team format.
Mexico will be massive favourites with home-ground advantage and a team in form, but Bafana will have eyes on being the great disruptors in what is predicted to be the largest ever audience for a World Cup opening match, at 1.5 billion viewers.
Coach Hugo Broos played against then hosts Mexico at the 1986 World Cup, his swansong as a player in Belgium colours, and now he comes full circle again to finish his coaching career 40 years later.
"There will be a massive crowd and there will not be so much South African support," Broos said. "So that is a big help for them. They will have 85,000 Mexicans shouting and singing. But we have to focus entirely on our game. If we can do that, if we are not too heavily influenced by the noise of 85,000 Mexicans, then we can have a good game.
"I think they've (Mexico) won nearly all of their last 10 games. So they'll be a team playing with immense confidence. They're the best team in the group. It will be a very tough game. We need to be at our absolute best level, but I can assure you our team is ready to fight for every metre and every ball."
The 74-year-old Broos said six months ago that this tournament would be his last in coaching before he hangs up his clipboard, and he is hoping for a perfect ending to a lifetime in the game.
“No one in Hollywood could have scripted it better. I am dreaming of a beautiful ending where South Africa reach the knockout phase of a World Cup for the first time after three first-round exits. Three points will take us through,” he said.
“When South Africa bow out of this tournament, I will say goodbye to football. I turned 74 years old this year and the time has come to be with my wife, two daughters, son and eight grandchildren.”
Broos believes there is not all that much between the four teams in Group A, which also includes the Czech Republic and South Korea, even if Mexico look the most complete side.
“Mexico are a good, ambitious team who emphasise movement. Nothing other than our best level will suffice. We must know what to do when they have the ball, and when we have it,” he said.
“The four teams are not too different in terms of quality. That means there are three tough matches ahead for South Africa. Our mission is to create history by reaching the second round.”
One statistic in Bafana Bafana’s favour is that Mexico have played in seven opening matches at the World Cup down the years … and never won.
"We have to break that statistic," their coach Javier Aguirre said. "I actually didn't know that fact. I’m going to share it with the players. It will be another brilliant source of motivation for us."