South Africa are through to the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup for the first time after a tense 1-0 win over South Korea in their final Group A match.
Thapelo Maseko delivered the decisive moment in the second half, scoring in the 63rd minute to push Bafana Bafana into second place in the group and send them into the last 32. AP confirmed South Africa advanced to the knockout phase for the first time with the 1-0 victory, while ESPN’s match record also listed the final score as South Africa 1-0 South Korea.
It was a result that changed the shape of Group A. Mexico finished top with a perfect record, while South Africa’s win lifted them into the automatic qualification places. Yahoo Sports reported that Maseko’s goal moved South Africa from last to second in the group and set up a Round of 32 meeting with Canada on Sunday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
For South Korea, the defeat was brutal. They entered the match with control of their knockout destiny but were left waiting to see whether three points would be enough to qualify as one of the best third-placed teams.
The match was not a classic, but it was exactly the kind of night South Africa needed. They stayed compact, absorbed pressure and waited for the opening that would change their tournament.
That opening came when Maseko found space inside the box and finished low to give South Africa the lead. From that point, Bafana Bafana had history in their hands.
South Korea pushed for a response, but their attack lacked the sharpness needed to break down a disciplined South African defence. Son Heung-min’s involvement could not rescue them, and the final whistle left South Africa celebrating one of the biggest moments in the country’s World Cup history.
Before this tournament, South Africa had never escaped the group stage at a World Cup. Their previous appearances had ended before the knockouts, including the 2010 edition they hosted.
Now, they have crossed that line.
The reward is a last-32 tie against Canada, another nation celebrating historic World Cup progress. For South Africa, the challenge now is to prove that this was not just a survival story, but the beginning of something bigger.
Bafana Bafana came into the final group match needing a result. They left with history.
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