South Africa made history on Wednesday night as Thapelo Maseko’s second half strike secured a famous 1-0 victory over South Korea at Estadio BBVA in Guadalupe, sending Bafana Bafana into the 2026 FIFA World Cup knockout stage for the first time ever. Combined with Mexico’s 3-0 victory over Czechia, the result sealed South Africa’s place in the next round and delivered one of the biggest achievements in the nation’s football history.
Heading into the contest, South Africa had never progressed beyond the group stage in their previous World Cup appearances in 1998, 2002 and 2010. Meanwhile, South Korea had won only one of their previous four World Cup matches against African opposition and arrived looking to strengthen their qualification hopes.
South Korea threatened almost immediately. Just two minutes into the game, Kang In Lee whipped in an excellent corner that found Kim Min Jae, whose powerful header looked destined for the net until Aubrey Modiba produced a vital goal line clearance to keep the scores level.
The Asian side continued to push forward and nearly broke the deadlock again in the eighth minute. The move started down the right through Young Woo before Hwang Hee Chan’s effort fell kindly for Kang In Lee inside the penalty area. However, his fierce left footed strike flashed narrowly wide of the bottom corner.
South Africa gradually settled into the match and created their first major opening in the 19th minute. Evidence Makgopa launched a swift counterattack before releasing Relebohile Mofokeng, who threaded a precise pass into the path of Maseko. The forward surged toward goal but was denied by a superb last ditch challenge from Gi Hyuk, who recovered brilliantly to prevent a clear shooting opportunity.
With qualification hopes hanging in the balance, Bafana Bafana continued to grow in confidence. Their best chance of the first half arrived on the half hour mark when Mbatha unleashed a powerful effort from the edge of the box. South Korean goalkeeper Seung Gyu made an excellent save before quickly gathering Makgopa’s follow up attempt to preserve the deadlock.
South Africa controlled large spells of possession during the closing stages of the opening half but could not find the breakthrough.
At the interval, the match remained goalless despite Hugo Broos’ side registering 10 shots, matching their highest first half tally in a World Cup match. They also outshot South Korea by six attempts, their biggest first half shot differential ever at the tournament.
The second half began with South Africa maintaining their attacking intent. In the 51st minute, Mofokeng again created danger by finding Maseko inside the penalty area. The forward looked set to pull the trigger, but Castrop recovered quickly to make a crucial block.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 63rd minute. Moremi delivered a perfectly weighted pass into Maseko’s path, allowing the forward to shift the ball onto his left foot before calmly drilling his effort into the bottom right corner. The goal sparked wild celebrations among the South African players and supporters as Bafana Bafana moved into second place in Group A.
The strike carried additional significance. Remarkably, South Africa’s last 11 World Cup goals have now been scored by 11 different players. Maseko also became the first player representing a club in Cyprus to score at a FIFA World Cup.
South Korea struggled to respond after falling behind. Despite needing a result, they found it difficult to break down South Africa’s disciplined defensive structure. By the 88th minute, South Africa had faced only five shots all evening, highlighting their control and defensive solidity throughout the contest.
As the final whistle sounded, celebrations erupted among the South African players and coaching staff. The hard fought victory secured their first ever qualification for the World Cup knockout rounds and marked a landmark moment in the country’s football history.
It was a night of resilience, discipline and belief for Hugo Broos’ side. Maseko’s decisive finish proved enough to upset South Korea and write a new chapter for South African football on the biggest stage. What a win for Bafana Bafana, and what a moment in their World Cup journey.
