TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Thapelo Maseko's solitary goal sent South Africa into the round of 32 after defeating South Korea 1-0 in their final Group A match of the 2026 World Cup at the BBVA Stadium in Monterrey, Mexico, on Thursday.
The FIFA website stated that the AEL Limassol player revived his country's hopes of advancing further in the World Cup finals.
This result saw the African team finish second in Group A and advance to the knockout stage. They became the second team after Mexico, which held a perfect 3-0 result against the Czech Republic at the same time.
Meanwhile, South Korea is on a waiting list to determine their chances of qualifying as the best third-place team among the other third-place teams in Groups E, H, I, and J.
Bafana Bafana played aggressively from the start, immediately pressuring the Taeguk Warriors' defense with attacks down the wings.
The team, coached by Hugo Henri Broos, created several chances throughout the first half, but failed to convert them into goals.
In the sixth minute, Relebohile Mofokeng fired an effort that missed the target.
Other chances came through Evidence Makgopa and Maseko, but the South Korean defense and goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu were able to keep the goal safe until halftime.
South Korea also threatened several times through Lee Kang-in and Hwang Hee-chan, but the South African defense displayed discipline to thwart their attacks. The score remained scoreless until the end of the first half.
The deadlock was finally broken in the 63rd minute. Tshepang Moremi, who had just come on as a substitute, sent a perfect pass to Maseko.
Maseko finished, giving his team a 1-0 lead.
After falling behind, South Korea ramped up their attacking intensity in search of an equalizer. However, the South African defense held them back until the final whistle.
Statistically, the 2010 World Cup host dominated, with 13 attempts on goal compared to South Korea's eight.
Both teams received one yellow card each, while there were 16 total fouls committed in the match.
Read: FIFA World Cup 2026 Standings: Swiss Rule, Qatar Out
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