South Africa created history on Wednesday by reaching the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup for the first time after defeating South Korea 1-0 in a tense Group A decider.
Thapelo Maseko scored the decisive goal midway through the second half as Bafana Bafana completed a remarkable turnaround following their disappointing opening defeat to Mexico.
The victory sees South Africa finish second in the group behind Mexico and sets up a last-32 clash against co-hosts Canada in Los Angeles on June 28.
It marks the first time South Africa have progressed beyond the group stage in four World Cup appearances, having previously fallen at the first hurdle in 1998, 2002 and as hosts in 2010.
The achievement is all the more remarkable considering many had written off Hugo Broos’ side after a 2-0 defeat to Mexico in their opening match.
A hard-earned draw against Czechia kept their hopes alive before they produced their finest performance of the tournament when it mattered most against South Korea.
South Korea coach Myung-Bo Hong made the surprise decision to leave captain Son Heung-min, widely regarded as one of Asia’s greatest footballers, on the bench for the opening half.
The gamble almost paid off as South Korea dominated the early exchanges.
Kim Min-jae’s powerful header was dramatically cleared off the line by Aubrey Modiba before Lee Kang-in narrowly missed the target.
South Africa gradually grew into the contest and began creating chances of their own.
Maseko nearly broke the deadlock after racing onto a through ball before a superb last-ditch tackle denied him.
Goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu then produced an excellent double save, first denying Thalente Mbatha before smothering Evidence Makgopa’s close-range follow-up effort.
Recognising the need for greater attacking threat, Hong introduced Son at halftime as one of three substitutions.
The Tottenham Hotspur forward helped South Korea gain more possession, but Bafana Bafana remained disciplined and organised defensively.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 63rd minute.
Tshepang Moremi picked out Maseko, who shifted the ball onto his stronger left foot before drilling a low finish into the bottom corner to spark wild celebrations among the South African players and supporters.
As news filtered through that Mexico were comfortably beating Czechia, South Africa knew victory would guarantee qualification.
South Korea threw everything forward during a tense closing period, but goalkeeper Ronwen Williams and his defence stood firm to preserve the priceless lead.
Speaking after the match, South Africa coach Hugo Broos praised both the character and tactical discipline shown by his players.
“It was a fantastic experience,” Broos said.
“It was so tough today, but it was a good game. I think tactically we were very good and it was difficult for South Korea to find space.
“We scored, then there were 20 minutes of heart-stopping moments. It’s historical, and I’m very happy for the guys. I’ve been working with them for five years.”
Mexico finished top of Group A after winning all three of their matches, while South Korea remain on three points and must now wait to see whether they qualify as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams.
For South Africa, however, the celebrations could begin immediately as Bafana Bafana reached the World Cup knockout rounds for the first time in the nation’s history.
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