South Africa beats South Korea 1-0, secures historic World Cup knockout berth
South Africa edged past South Korea 1-0 on June 24, 2026 at Monterrey Stadium in Guadalupe, Mexico, securing a historic first-ever place in the World Cup knockout stage. Thapelo Maseko's second-half strike sealed the win, allowing Bafana Bafana to finish second in Group A behind unbeaten co-hosts Mexico, after an opening 2-0 loss to Mexico and a draw with the Czech Republic.
The victory silenced critics who had written off the African side after the early loss, with coach Hugo Broos praising his players' resilience and calling the achievement a career-high. Broos, who has led the team since 2021, said reaching the second round felt like a dream finish to his coaching career and expressed confidence that his squad will be ready for the next challenge.
South Africa now faces fellow co-host Canada in Los Angeles on Sunday, June 29, 2026, with a place in the last 16 at stake. The result adds to a growing narrative of African competitiveness on the world stage, coming just after the nation's last World Cup appearance as hosts in 2010.
Will Bafana Bafana's inspiring run motivate you to back other African teams in upcoming tournaments, and will you tune in to see if they can extend their historic run against Canada?