South Africa has made World Cup history by reaching the knockout rounds for the first time following a stunning 1-0 victory over South Korea on Wednesday.
Bafana Bafana, making their first World Cup appearance since hosting the tournament in 2010, secured second place in Group A. The historic win in Monterrey marks an incredible turnaround after their opening 2-0 defeat to Mexico and a hard-fought draw against the Czech Republic.
Thapelo Maseko became the hero of the match, scoring the decisive second-half goal to seal the victory.
The match began with a surprising tactical decision by South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo, who benched star captain Son Heung-min. Despite his absence, the Asian side started strong. Stand-in captain Kim Min-jae saw a powerful header cleared off the goal line by Aubrey Modiba, while Lee Kang-in narrowly missed the target.
South Africa soon found their rhythm, playing with attacking intent but struggling with early finishing. Their best first-half chance came in the 30th minute when Evidence Makgopa shot straight at goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu from close range after a parried effort from Thalente Mbatha.
Seeking a breakthrough, South Korea introduced Son at halftime as part of a triple substitution. However, it was South Africa who capitalized. Maseko found the back of the net early in the second period, making up for a previous missed opportunity.
At the other end, goalkeeper Ronwen Williams stood firm to deny South Korean forward Oh Hyeon-gyu, ensuring South Africa’s historic progression.
