Bafana Bafana have been placed on high alert as Mexico striker Julian Quinones is running riot in the Saudi Pro League, threatening to pip Cristiano Ronaldo to the Golden Boot award.
The 29-year-old is enjoying a rich vein of form ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He is expected to spearhead Mexico’s strikeforce when they face South Africa in the tournament opener at the iconic Azteca Stadium on June 11.
Mexico are one of the World Cup hosts, sharing the responsibility to organise the football extravaganza with the United States and Canada. That places pressure on El Tri to go far in the tournament and avoid a disappointing campaign as co-hosts.
But they will first have to navigate through Group A, which also has Bafana, the Czech Republic and South Korea. Javier Aguirre’s side might already be brimming with confidence as one of their strikers has hit top form.
MEXICO’S MONSTER ATTACKER GIVING CRISTIANO RONALDO A RUN FOR HIS MONEY
Al Qadsiah striker Quinones currently leads the Saudi Pro League scorers chart, having found the back of the net 28 times in 27 league games so far this season. Englishman and Al Ahli star Ivan Toney, also in the Golden Boot race follow the former Colombia Under-20 and 21 forward in the Golden Boot race.
Former Real Madrid and Manchester United attacker Cristiano Ronaldo trails Quinones by three goals, with the Al Nassr man third on the chart with four games remaining before the season ends. Quinones’ latest exploits were Wednesday’s brace in the 4-0 victory over Al Riyadh.
In his second season at Al Qadsiah, Quinones’ form might make him a prime target of Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos. The Belgian would be keen to devise a way to contain the Colombia-born striker, who made his Mexico debut in November 2023. And the attacker has since made 20 appearances in Mexico colours with two goals under his belt as per Transfermarkt.
South Africa’s former Orlando Pirates winger Mohau Nkota, who turns out for Al Ettifaq, has already mentioned Quinones capabilities and is relishing meeting the Mexico gunslinger.
“For me, it’s going to be a very good game [against Mexico]. Playing against [Quinones] in the league and then playing against him in the World Cup,” Nkota said.
“It’s going to be a lot easier for me having gotten to know him – how he plays in the league and then in the World Cup. We have a very good team; we [Bafana] have a lot of quality. I believe it’s achievable for us to go to the next round [of the World Cup].”
QUINONES ON LEADING THE GOLDEN BOOT RACE AHEAD OF CRISTIANO RONALDO AND WORLD CUP AMBITIONS
“I honestly feel very good and calm, because on the pitch I have teammates who create a lot of chances for me,” Quinones told the Saudi Pro League website. “For a striker, it’s very important to score goals, but for me, the most important thing is what we [as a team] do collectively on the field. All of this is thanks to the team and the coaching staff. My motivation comes from my teammates – that’s the main thing.
“If I were only motivated by becoming the top scorer, it wouldn’t work as a team. The team always comes first, and then the results follow.
“For any player, [playing] at a World Cup is very important. That’s why I work hard every single day to be on the final squad list. Representing my country is the most important thing, and I give everything in training to make that happen.”
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