South Africa earned their first point of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after Teboho Mokoena’s late penalty secured a 1-1 draw against Czechia in a hard-fought Group stage encounter at Atlanta Stadium on Thursday.
Both teams entered the match searching for their first victory of the tournament, but neither could find a winner as they settled for a share of the spoils after an entertaining contest.
Czechia made the brighter start and took the lead in the sixth minute. A long throw from the right flank caused confusion inside the South African penalty area before the ball was cut back to the edge of the box. A clever threaded pass then found Michal Sadilek, who finished emphatically to put the Europeans ahead.
The match also produced a unique World Cup milestone. South Africa coach Hugo Broos and Czechia manager Miroslav Koubek, both aged 74, became the first pair of head coaches aged over 70 to face each other in a World Cup finals fixture.
South Africa’s first meaningful attack arrived in the 13th minute when Oswin Appollis tried his luck from around 25 yards. His effort took a deflection and went behind for a corner, lifting the noise levels among the South African supporters inside the stadium.
The resulting set piece failed to trouble the Czech defence as a speculative long-range attempt sailed comfortably over the crossbar.
Czechia remained compact and disciplined throughout the first half. They pressed intelligently, denied South Africa space in midfield and forced goalkeeper Ronwen Williams to play longer passes in an effort to bypass their defensive shape.
South Africa nearly gifted their opponents another goal in the 40th minute after a nervy spell at the back. Czechia threatened from a Vladimir Coufal long throw, but the South African defence eventually cleared the danger.
The final action of the opening half almost produced an equaliser. Goalkeeper Matej Kovar spilled a cross near his six-yard box, but Ladislav Krejci reacted quickly to block South Africa’s follow-up effort and preserve Czechia’s lead heading into the break.
Czechia started the second half strongly and came close to extending their advantage in the 47th minute. Vladimir Darida saw a close-range effort blocked before Lukas Cerv tested Ronwen Williams with a powerful long-range strike.
From the resulting corner, Patrik Schick found space inside the penalty area but headed straight at the South African goalkeeper. It was a golden opportunity that could have put the game beyond reach.
As the clock ticked down, South Africa increased the pressure in search of an equaliser. Their breakthrough finally arrived in the 81st minute when referee Tori Penso pointed to the penalty spot.
Thapelo Maseko’s shot struck Pavel Sulc from close range and, despite the midfielder’s arms being close to his body, the referee awarded a penalty after reviewing the incident.
Teboho Mokoena stepped up two minutes later and calmly sent his penalty into the corner of the net. Matej Kovar dived the wrong way as South Africa levelled the score with just minutes remaining.
The equaliser set up a tense finish, with both teams pushing for a winning goal.
South Africa nearly snatched victory in stoppage time. Evidence Makgopa created space on the edge of the penalty area and forced Kovar into a fine save. Moments later, Aubrey Modiba unleashed a right-footed effort that took a deflection behind for a corner.
However, Czechia survived the late pressure and the match ended level at 1-1.
The result handed both nations their first point of the tournament. While South Africa celebrated a spirited comeback, they suffered a setback as goalscorer Mokoena received his second consecutive yellow card of the competition. As a result, he will miss their final group match against South Korea through suspension.
For Czechia, the draw prevented a second successive defeat after their 2-1 loss to South Korea in their opening fixture. Historically, Czechia have only lost their first two matches at a World Cup on two previous occasions, in 1954 and 1970 when they competed as Czechoslovakia.
South Africa, meanwhile, continued their respectable record against European opposition at the World Cup. This was their sixth match against a European nation in the tournament, having now recorded two wins, two draws and two defeats. Their most recent victory against European opposition came in a memorable 2-1 win over France during the 2010 World Cup.
In the end, Mokoena’s composure from the penalty spot ensured South Africa avoided defeat, while Czechia were left to reflect on missed opportunities after failing to build on Sadilek’s early opener.
