South Africa Makes History, Advances to World Cup Knockout Stage

By Liam Tremblay — 25 June 2026 — 3 min read

South Africa has advanced to the knockout phase of the World Cup for the first time in its history, securing a 1-0 victory over South Korea. The match, held in Monterrey, Mexico, saw Thapelo Maseko score the decisive goal in the 63rd minute, off a cross from Tshepang Moremi. This win placed South Africa in second position in Group A, behind Mexico, which had won all three of its group-stage matches.

The victory means South Africa will now face Canada, the second-place team from Group B, in a knockout match in Inglewood, California. This marks a significant achievement for Bafana Bafana, who had previously failed to progress from the group stage in 1998, 2002, and as hosts in 2010.

South Africa’s path to the knockouts

South Africa’s tournament began with a 2-0 loss to Mexico, followed by a 1-1 draw against the Czech Republic, where they secured a late goal. Entering their final group-stage match, a win against South Korea was necessary for them to advance. Head coach Hugo Broos expressed confidence in his team’s mentality despite the initial challenges.

Broos highlighted the team’s strong collective effort, stating that everyone was working for each other and that they were not intimidated by other teams. Sphephelo Sithole, who received a red card in the opening game, started the match and contributed to South Africa’s clean sheet. Sithole expressed pride in his recovery.

Maseko, a forward for Mamelodi Sundowns, had several opportunities early in the match before scoring the winning goal. He received the ball on the right side of the box, cut inside, and struck it low with his left foot, sending it through a defender’s legs and into the bottom corner. This was Maseko’s first World Cup goal, and his teammates celebrated enthusiastically.

The atmosphere in Estadio BBVA was notable, with fans reacting strongly to news of Mexico’s goals in their concurrent match. These celebrations, which included both local Mexican fans and South Korean supporters, coincided with Maseko’s goal. While it is difficult to say if these events directly influenced South Korea’s play, they occurred during a period of high emotion.

South Korea’s tactical decision and tournament outlook

South Korea’s head coach, Hong Myung-bo, made a notable decision by not starting Son Heung-min, opting to bring him on as a substitute later in the game. Hong explained that his intention was to introduce Son when the South African defenders were fatigued. Following the loss, Hong acknowledged that he might have made different choices if he had known the outcome beforehand, taking responsibility for the decision.

The decision to bench Son, who is South Korea’s captain, all-time top appearance maker with 146 caps, and second top scorer, was a surprise. Son, a forward, had not shown any signs of injury in the previous game and warmed up to significant cheers from the crowd. His presence is often a key factor for the team, and his shirts were widely visible around the stadium before the match.

South Korea began their World Cup campaign with a 2-1 comeback victory over the Czech Republic but then lost 1-0 to Mexico in their second game. After the defeat to South Africa, South Korea finished in third place in Group A. Their chances of advancing to the knockout round now depend on the results of other matches scheduled for this week.

Historically, South Korea became the first Asian team to reach the knockout round in 2002, where they finished fourth overall. They also advanced from the group stage in 2010 and 2022, reaching the round of 16 on both occasions. The team must now await other results to determine their fate in the tournament.

Source: nbcnews.com