Mexico manager Javier Aguirre refused to let a victorious start to their home World Cup campaign mask his team's shortcomings, offering a critical assessment of El Tri despite their 2-0 win over South Africa in the tournament opener.

Speaking at his post-match press conference, the veteran tactician insisted that Mexico should have put the game completely out of reach much earlier, lamenting a failure to truly reflect their first-half dominance on the scoreboard.

"It easily could have been 3-0, and nobody would have questioned it," Aguirre told reporters. "The opposition had just a single shot, and we completely outclassed them in the first half, but the scoreline simply didn't reflect that. We hit the post, their goalkeeper made a fine save, we missed another clear chance, and in the end, we allowed ourselves to complicate what should have been a straightforward match."

The Mexico head coach was particularly critical of his players' psychological drop-off during the second half. He pointed out that rather than ruthlessly exposing South Africa after Sphephelo Sithole's 50th-minute red card and Raúl Jiménez's subsequent insurance goal, his side took their foot off the gas.

"The combination of the second goal and their first dismissal created a false sense of security; we relaxed and stopped playing vertically," Aguirre warned. "Having said that, starting a World Cup with a victory is always a positive foundation. We can certainly improve, and quite frankly, we must improve if we want to go deep in this tournament."

Mexico will have a chance to fine-tune their approach before their second Group A fixture against South Korea on 19 June, where a sharper edge will undoubtedly be demanded by their manager.