Monterrey: South Africa have created history by reaching the World Cup knockout stage for the first time after defeating South Korea 1-0 in a closely contested Group match in Monterrey. The victory moved South Africa into second place in the standings behind Mexico and secured a place in the last 32.
After failing to progress beyond the group stage in previous World Cup appearances, South Africa produced a disciplined performance to achieve a long-awaited breakthrough. The team remained organised throughout the match and successfully contained South Korea despite spending long periods without possession.
The decisive moment arrived in the second half when Thapelo Maseko found the breakthrough. The forward controlled the ball inside the penalty area, shifted it onto his left foot and calmly guided a low shot through the legs of defender Jens Castrop before finding the near corner of the net.
Its all over in Monterey as Bafana Bafana defeat South Korea 1-0 to book their place in the next round of the FIFA World Cup#BafanaPride #BafanaBafana #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/wtQmHOtnlU
— Bafana Bafana (@BafanaBafana) June 25, 2026
South Korea controlled much of the possession but struggled to convert dominance into clear scoring opportunities. The Asian side created only a handful of meaningful chances, including an early effort from Lee Kang-in and a header from Oh Hyeon-gyu, but neither seriously troubled the South African defence.
South Africa looked dangerous whenever they launched counter-attacks and created the better chances despite seeing less of the ball. Their disciplined defensive display and clinical finishing proved enough to secure all three points in a match where opportunities were limited.
The World Cup victory has earned South Africa a place in the knockout stage, where they will face Canada in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, South Korea’s hopes of progressing now depend on qualifying as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams after missing the opportunity to secure automatic qualification.
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