South Africa has advanced to the World Cup knockout stage for the first time in history following a thrilling 1-0 victory over South Korea on Wednesday, June 24. In a decisive Group A match in Guadalupe, Mexico, Thapelo Maseko scored the winning goal in the 63rd minute, firing home a precise cross from Tshepang Moremi.
The victory secured Bafana Bafana the runner-up spot in the group behind Mexico, setting up a knockout clash with Group B runner-up Canada on Sunday in Inglewood, California. South Africa’s historic progression follows early struggles in the tournament. After opening with a 2-0 loss to Mexico, they salvaged a 1-1 draw against the Czech Republic with a last-minute goal.
Entering the final matchday trailing both Mexico and South Korea in the standings, South Africa faced a must-win scenario to break their streak of group-stage exits from their 1998, 2002, and 2010 campaigns. Delivering under pressure, the team wrote a new chapter in its football history.Conversely, the defeat marked a disappointing exit for South Korea.
Despite starting the tournament with a 2-1 win over the Czech Republic, consecutive 1-0 losses to Mexico and South Africa sealed their fate. The Taegeuk Warriors—who famously reached the 2002 semi-finals and previously advanced to the knockouts in 2010 and 2022—see their current World Cup journey end at the group stage.
