South Africa fans hail historic World Cup knockout entry after Korea win
Key takeaways
- The nation’s shock win against South Korea in Mexico quelled criticism back at home after doubts about coach Hugo Broos’ team.
- Two red cards, one loss, a draw and a win later, South Africa did it all in their group stage matches at the World Cup and advanced to the knockout round of the tournament for the first time.
- Thapelo Maseko fired into the net in the 63rd minute to give Bafana Bafana a stunning 1-0 win over South Korea, who now straddle the uncertain line between possible round of 32 qualification or elimination.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
The nation’s shock win against South Korea in Mexico quelled criticism back at home after doubts about coach Hugo Broos’ team.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo South Africa's Thapelo Maseko celebrates scoring the match-winning goal against South Korea [Eloisa Sanchez/Reuters]By Anushe Engineer Published On 25 Jun 202625 Jun 2026As South Africa’s football team danced the night away in Guadalupe’s Monterrey Stadium after making World Cup history, fans in Johannesburg were celebrating in the streets long before the sun came out and heralded what would become an unparalleled day in the nation’s football history.
Two red cards, one loss, a draw and a win later, South Africa did it all in their group stage matches at the World Cup and advanced to the knockout round of the tournament for the first time.