South Africa made history on Tuesday by reaching the FIFA World Cup knockout stage for the first time after securing a hard-fought victory over South Korea in Monterrey.
A second-half goal from Thapelo Maseko proved decisive as the African side claimed all three points and booked their place in the last 32.
The result lifted South Africa to second place in Group A, behind Mexico, while South Korea were left relying on results elsewhere in the hope of progressing as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams.
South Africa will now face Canada in Los Angeles on Sunday in the knockout phase.
The match itself offered few clear-cut chances, with South Africa adopting a disciplined and defensive approach while looking to exploit opportunities on the counterattack. South Korea enjoyed more possession but struggled to create meaningful openings in the final third.
The breakthrough came in the second half when Maseko controlled the ball inside the penalty area before shifting it onto his left foot and firing a low shot through a defender’s legs and into the net.
Although South Korea controlled large portions of the game, South Africa created the better opportunities and looked more dangerous whenever they broke forward.
South Korea’s chances were limited, with a tame header from Oh Hyeon-gyu and an early effort from Lee Kang-in among their few notable attempts.
The Asian side introduced former Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-min at halftime in an attempt to turn the game around, but he struggled to influence proceedings and saw little of the ball in dangerous areas.
For South Africa, the victory marks a significant milestone. Before the 2026 tournament, their only previous World Cup appearance came when they hosted the competition in 2010, and they had never advanced beyond the group stage.
The achievement also extends the World Cup journey of coach Hugo Broos, who had announced plans to retire after the tournament.
While the performance was not their most polished, South Africa showed resilience, organisation and determination to secure a historic place in the knockout rounds.
South Korea must now wait to discover whether their World Cup campaign will continue, while South Africa can look forward to a historic last-32 clash against Canada.
