Aguirre was in charge of Egypt when Bafana knocked the hosts out of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in the round of 16, a result that sent shockwaves through Egyptian football.
The Pharaohs, who had been losing finalists in the previous edition and would finish runners-up again at the 2021 tournament, had high hopes of lifting the trophy on home soil. But Thembinkosi Lorch’s late winner in Cairo shattered those dreams and ultimately led to Aguirre’s dismissal.
“South Africa have done well and beat me in the African Cup,” Aguirre told reporters. “They are a fierce team, not exactly with an African style, but a mix with European football. They have a Belgian coach (Hugo Broos) and some interesting players. I have the utmost respect for them. It won’t be easy.”
They say there are two games everyone wants to be involved in at a World Cup – the opening match, with the eyes of the world watching, and the final.
Aguirre hopes first and foremost that the clash at the Azteca Stadium in a week’s time lives up to the moment.
“Let’s hope it (the match) is a good one and lives up to the occasion,” he said.
Aguirre has previously spoken about the value of home-ground advantage for Mexico, describing it as “priceless”.
“That’s what I tell my players, playing at home is priceless,” he said. “England were champions at home and never again. I have a lot of faith that the fans will encourage us, help us, and that the whole country will be behind us.”
Asked whether he was nervous ahead of the tournament, Aguirre said he was simply enjoying the moment.
“Neither one (nervous) nor the other (anxious),” he said. “I’m genuinely excited. I’m one of the lucky ones, truly lucky.
“We are in our best physical, athletic and even mental shape. The players are very excited. None of them has experienced anything like this before. We’re all eager for the moment to arrive.”
Mexico face Serbia in their final warm-up fixture on Thursday after edging Australia 1-0 in their previous outing.
Meanwhile, Bafana’s final Group A opponents South Korea beat El Salvador 1-0 in their last friendly before the tournament on Wednesday. The victory followed a 5-0 win over Trinidad & Tobago in their first warm-up match.
Bafana face Jamaica in their final preparation game on Friday and are hoping to have left-back Aubrey Modiba available again after a hamstring injury.
