(CNN)  -- Hosts South Africa opened the 2010 World Cup with a 1-1 draw with Mexico on Friday as the world's greatest sporting spectacle arrived on the African continent for the first time. An estimated global audience of hundreds of millions watched as the home side's Siphiwe Tshabalala crashed home the first goal of the tournament early in the second half to send Johannesburg's Soccer City stadium into ecstatic celebrations. Mexico's Rafael Marquez leveled the scores with 11 minutes left, beating goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune from close range. But South Africa's Katlego Mphela missed a golden opportunity to win the match in the final moments as his shot bounced back off the post.
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South Africa draw 1-1 with Mexico in opening game of the 2010 World Cup
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South Africa is the first African nation to host the 80-year-old tournament
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32 teams competing for glory; Brazil,  Spain considered favorites
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Fan: "The World Cup is inside us. We are eating, sleeping and feeling it."
The tournament could be the loudest @placeholder ever due to South African fans' habit of turning up to matches with vuvuzelas -- a plastic horn which has attracted criticism from some players and officials because of its ear-splitting noise levels.