South Africa seal historic 1-0 win over South Korea to reach knockout stage
The Mt Kenya Times 
A solitary Thapelo Maseko strike in Guadalupe ends Bafana Bafana’s long wait for a place in the World Cup’s last 32
By Norman Mwale
South Africa reached the World Cup knockout phase for the first time in their history on Wednesday with a disciplined 1-0 victory over South Korea in Guadalupe, near Monterrey, Maseko’s 63rd-minute strike proving the difference between two evenly-matched sides. The Mamelodi Sundowns forward received a precise cross from Tshepang Moremi on the right side of the box, cut inside and drilled the ball low through a defender’s legs and into the bottom corner, sending Bafana Bafana through from Group A in second place behind Mexico. South Korea, who finish third on three points, remain in contention as one of the eight best third-placed teams.
The match at Monterrey Stadium was a tense, tactical affair from the outset. South Korea controlled possession in the opening period and tested goalkeeper Ronwen Williams on several occasions, but South Africa absorbed the pressure with composure and grew steadily into the contest. Maseko, 22, had wasted two good chances before his moment of quality proved decisive. As word filtered through that Mexico were leading Czechia in Mexico City — removing any lingering hope of South Korean advancement — Bafana Bafana seized their opportunity. The win leaves South Africa on four points and sets up a round-of-32 meeting with co-hosts Canada at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Sunday 29 June.
Coach Hugo Broos was visibly emotional at the final whistle. “The final whistle, for me, was a rush of emotions — not only because we won the game, but because it will probably be one of the last games of my career,” the 74-year-old Belgian said. “When you can end a career in this way, I think every coach dreams of it.” He praised the collective spirit that carried his side through a tournament that began badly. “The mentality in this group is amazing,” Broos said. “Everybody is working for everybody. We are not afraid of other teams.”
Maseko, who won the penalty from which Teboho Mokoena rescued a 1-1 draw against Czechia, reflected warmly on the achievement. When asked what he would say to his younger self, the forward did not hesitate. “The one thing I would say is: keep dreaming,” he said. Sphephelo Sithole, who had been sent off in the opening defeat to Mexico, also earned a starting place and helped keep a vital clean sheet. “In the first two, three days, it wasn’t easy,” Sithole said. “I needed to pick myself up. I’m very proud of myself because I did.”
South Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo made a widely questioned tactical decision in leaving captain Son Heung-min on the bench, preferring to introduce him when South African legs grew tired. The gamble did not pay off. “If I knew the result beforehand, I probably would have made some different choices,” Hong acknowledged afterwards. “On the world stage like this, the responsibility is ultimately down to the head coach.” South Korea, who began their campaign with a 2-1 victory over Czechia on 11 June, remain alive in the competition but will require results elsewhere to go their way.
South Africa had failed to advance from the group stage in each of their three previous World Cup appearances — in 1998, in 2002 and as host nation in 2010. That record ended in Guadalupe. Bafana Bafana leave the group stage with four points, a clean sheet, and a belief forged through adversity. The knockout journey now begins against Canada.
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