South Africa's World Cup loss: Bafana Bafana trolled by African fans in wake of defeat by Mexico

The taunting reflects anger from parts of the continent over reports of xenophobia in South Africa.

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The memes were light-hearted - including sombreros, mariachi bands and tacos - but they pointed to a dark underbelly. The banter reflected anger over the reports of xenophobic violence in South Africa.

A poor South African performance on the pitch led to a 2-0 defeat against the World Cup co-hosts.

As the final whistle blew, social media lit up with a flood of mocking posts. But some South Africans pushed back, praising the spirit of their team, nicknamed Bafana Bafana.

South Africa is one of 10 African teams at this year's expanded World Cup, with the US and Canada co-hosting along with Mexico.