South Africa’s national football team have reached the FIFA World Cup knockout stage for the first time in the country’s history, beating South Korea 1-0 at Monterrey Stadium in Guadalupe on Thursday, 25 June 2026. A 63rd-minute strike from winger Thapelo Maseko secured second place in Group A and set up a Round of 32 meeting with Canada.
The result marks a milestone for Bafana Bafana, who had never before progressed beyond the group stage at a World Cup despite previous appearances in 1998, 2002 and 2010. According to Daily Maverick, the win means South Africa have finally broken a barrier that had stood since their tournament debut.
Maseko’s moment
The decisive goal came midway through the second half, when Thapelo Maseko found the net on 63 minutes. At 22 years and 225 days, Maseko became South Africa’s second-youngest World Cup goalscorer, according to reporting on the match.
The single goal was enough to settle a tense contest in Guadalupe and confirm Bafana Bafana’s place in the next round.
From opening defeat to second place
South Africa’s progress was far from straightforward. The team had to recover from a difficult start to their Group A campaign, which included:
- A 2-0 opening loss to Mexico
- A draw with Czechia
- The 1-0 win over South Korea that sealed second place
That sequence of results was enough for Bafana Bafana to finish second in the group and book their knockout berth, as confirmed by France 24.
The achievement is all the more significant given that this is South Africa’s first World Cup appearance since they hosted the tournament in 2010. The long wait to return to the global stage has now been matched by an unprecedented run into the knockout rounds.
Next up: Canada in Los Angeles
Bafana Bafana will now turn their attention to the Round of 32, where they will face Canada. The match is scheduled to take place in Los Angeles on Sunday, 28 June 2026, with kick-off at 21:00 South African time.
Victory over Canada would extend South Africa’s historic campaign even further, but for now the focus is on a result that has already rewritten the record books for the national side.
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