South Africa’s Historic Advance
South Africa has made history by advancing to the World Cup 2026 knockout rounds for the first time, securing a 1-0 victory over South Korea. This win places them second in Group A, marking a significant turnaround for the team known as Bafana Bafana.
The decisive goal came in the 63rd minute from Thapelo Maseko, who fired the ball into the bottom corner. This result means South Africa will now face Canada in the round of 32. The team’s captain, Ronwen Williams, highlighted how the squad used external doubts about their progression as motivation, stating, “Everybody was against us, we use that as energy, to fight today, it’s amazing what we achieved.”
Prior to this tournament, South Africa had not advanced from the group stage in their previous three World Cup appearances in 1998, 2002, and 2010. Their journey in this tournament has been notable, especially after a challenging opening game where they suffered a defeat to hosts Mexico, a match that also saw two red cards.
South Korea’s Campaign and Son Heung-min’s Role
South Korea, despite the loss, still has a chance to qualify for the knockout stages as one of the best third-placed teams. They concluded their group stage with three points. The team’s manager, Myung-Bo Hong, made a notable decision by benching talisman Son Heung-min for the start of the match against South Africa, marking the first time in 13 World Cup games he had not started.
Son Heung-min was introduced at half-time as part of a triple substitution, which also saw South Korea switch to a back four. Despite his introduction, South Korea struggled to convert their 68 per cent possession into a cutting edge, with South Africa recording more shots and a higher expected goals (xG).
Son Heung-min’s tournament has been described as difficult, with reports indicating he had the fewest touches among South Korea’s starters in previous matches against Mexico and in their opening game. He has not scored a World Cup goal since 2018. The decision to bench him against South Africa ended a streak of 12 consecutive World Cup starts for the player.
Match Highlights and Key Moments
The match saw early threats from South Korea. In the second minute, Kim Min-jae’s header from a corner was cleared off the line by Aubrey Modiba. Shortly after, Lee Kang-in fired a shot from inside the penalty area that went wide.
South Africa gradually found their rhythm. In the 19th minute, Thapelo Maseko nearly scored after racing onto a through ball, but Lee Gi-hyuk made a crucial last-ditch tackle. South Korea’s goalkeeper, Kim Seung-gyu, then produced a double save, first parrying Thalente Mbatha’s effort and then smothering Evidence Makgopa’s follow-up.
The winning goal for South Africa came in the 63rd minute when Moremi delivered a precise pass to Maseko, who shifted the ball onto his left foot before burying it into the bottom right-hand corner of the net.
South Korea will now face a period of anxious waiting to see if their three points are enough to secure progression as one of the best third-placed teams in the tournament.
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Source: independent.co.uk
