Nine of ten African nations advanced past the World Cup group stage. Before this tournament, nine different African teams had never done it combined. This isn't an upset story. It's a tectonic shift.
South Africa beat South Korea 1-0 and made the World Cup knockouts for the first time ever. The world barely noticed. That's exactly the problem.
Mexico has never won when they open the World Cup — 0-5-2 in seven tries. South Africa just arrived days late after a visa nightmare. Neither team is walking into Thursday's opener clean.
