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After arguably their worst performance as a group in the opening match of the World Cup against Mexico, Bafana Bafana redeemed themselves with a courageous display in the most important game of their lives.
Bafana Bafana wrote a script fit for Hollywood when they rose from a poor showing in their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup to make history by advancing to the knockout stage of the global showpiece for the first time. That’s fitting, as up next is a trip to Los Angeles where they will face Canada in the round of 32, writes Njabulo Ngidi.
South Africa advanced to the knockout phase of the World Cup for the first time with a 1-0 victory over South Korea on Wednesday night.
MONTERREY, Mexico, June 24 : South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo said he had deliberately left captain Son Heung-min on the bench in the hope the forward could exploit tiring South African legs after the break, but conceded his side never found their rhythm in a 1-0 defeat that left their World Cup fate hanging in the balance on Wednesday.
MONTERREY, Mexico, June 24 : South Africa coach Hugo Broos praised his team for their tactical performance after they beat South Korea 1-0 in their Group A World Cup showdown on Wednesday, reaching the knockout stage for the first time.
MEXICO CITY: Mateo Chávez and Julián Quiñones scored in a six-minute span early in the second half, and Mexico beat the Czech Republic 3-0 on Wednesday night to win all three of its World Cup group-stage matches for the first time. The 22-year-old Chávez, in his first World Cup, opened the scoring in the 55th minute and Quiñones scored his second goal of the tournament in the 61st. Alvaro Fidalgo added a goal in second-half stoppage time. Mexico’s previous best group-stage performance was two wins and one draw, done in 1986 and 2002 and both featuring Javier Aguirre, the first as a midfielder and the second as El Tri’s coach.
Thapelo Maseko’s second-half goal lifted South Africa to a must-win 1-0 result against South Korea in their Group A finale in Guadalupe, Mexico, on Wednesday, sending Bafana Bafana to the World Cup knockout stage for the first time. Maseko put South Africa in front in the 63rd minute with a clinical finish, burying a shot from his favored left foot to the right corner after a precision pass by Tshepang Moremi. Ronwen Williams preserved the lead with a save on Park Jin-seob’s header in the third minute of second-half stoppage time. South Korea (1-2-0, 3 points) needed a win or draw to finish runner-up to Mexico and advance to the round of 32. South Africa (1-1-1, 4 points) had to win and have Czech Republic lose to Mexico in the concurrent match to claim the second spot. Mexico (3-0-9, 9 points) logged a 3-0 win over the Czechs (0-2-1, 1 points), and when the hosts’ 1-0 lead was posted in the Guadalupe stadium in the 55th minute, the South African fans joined the Mexicans in attendance in celebrating. South Africa was written off by many after losing the opening match of the World Cup 2-0 to Mexico while having two players sent off. The South Africans had failed to get out of the group stage in their previous World Cups in 1998, 2002 and 2010. South Korea still have a chance to advance in the event as one of the best third-place teams, but they will need other results to go their way. South Korea started as if it were playing for the win with several forays into the penalty area in the first three minutes but soon fell into a conservative mode.
MONTERREY, Mexico: South Africa reached the knockout phase at a World Cup for the first time on Wednesday (Jun 24) when Thapelo Maseko's second-half strike gave them a 1-0 win against South Korea, who can still qualify as one of the best third-placed teams.