For all of Carlos Alberto Parreira’s careful planning there was no legislating for the stage fright on Friday.
It threatened to implode Bafana Bafana’s World Cup campaign before it had really even started but luckily the side were able to ride their luck, and in the end, come within the width of the woodwork of a famous win.
It was an extraordinary day for the country and a magical start to a tournament that has since continued to deliver plenty of exciting football over the opening two days.
But it could have been so different had the Mexicans been able to properly exploit the pensive start from South Africa at Soccer City.
Parreira had ordered a game at the cavernous venue before the tournament in order to prepare his players for the noise and supposed pressure of the huge audience at the venue.
The game against Colombia supposedly achieved that, or at least that is what the players and coach had us believe before the game.
But the unprecedented, almost euphoric, tone of the build-up before the Mexico game and just the pure terror of competing in the opening game of the World Cup was markedly too much for the local lads, for the opening exchanges at least.
But there were also glimpses of their potential and enough to provide heart for the Uruguay game at Pretoria’s Loftus Versfeld on Wednesday. The passing at times and the pace of the counterattacks from Bafana Bafana were a real delight and if you consider how poorly the side were playing just nine months ago, then there can only be positives drawn from Friday’s World Cup opener.