FIFA World Cup 2026: South Africa salvaged a crucial point with a dramatic 83rd-minute penalty from midfielder Teboho Mokoena to force a wasteful Czechia to a 1-1 draw in an intense Group A fixture at the Atlanta Stadium on June 18. The outcome leaves both countries with just a point from their opening two games, keeping their round of 32 qualification hopes alive but blowing the group wide open.
Czechia came into the fixture desperate to get their campaign back on track after an opening day loss and made a flying start. Ivan Hašek’s men broke the deadlock six minutes into the contest to register the tournament’s earliest goal to date. Long throw-in specialist Vladimír Coufal caused instant mayhem inside the South African penalty area before Alexandr Sojka made a clever reverse pass for Michal Sadílek. The midfielder timed his run to perfection, firing a pinpoint cross-shoot past the custodian Ronwen Williams to send the European fans into raptures.
Inspired by the early lead, the Czechs controlled the early possession and exploited their height advantage to go for set-pieces and fill spaces. Rather than looking to put the game beyond doubt with a second goal, Czechia switched to an uncharacteristic passive, defensive low-block.
South Africa’s ‘Bafana Bafana’ gradually worked their way back into the contest before the break, showing great intensity in their defensive work, but lacking clinical precision in the final third. For the first 70 minutes, Hugo Broos’ side failed to have a single shot on target as they struggled to break through the central defensive wall anchored by Ladislav Krejčí.
The game came to life in the last quarter as South Africa pushed their lines higher. The breakthrough came out of nowhere in the 81st minute as winger Thapelo Maseko cut in and unleashed an audacious strike which beat the outstretched arm of substitute Pavel Šulc inside the box. After a quick VAR check, referee Tori Penso didn’t hesitate to point to the spot. Mokoena came up big under huge pressure, calmly sending Czech keeper Matěj Kovář the wrong way with a right-footed shot into the bottom corner.
The equaliser set up a mad, end-to-end finish in seven minutes of stoppage time. South Africa nearly staged a stunning comeback when forward Evidence Makgopa found space on the right side of the box, but his low shot went wide. Atlanta ended up sharing the spoils with both sides placing huge tactical pressure on their upcoming final group stage matches.
Debayan Bhattacharyya is a seasoned sports journalist and digital media professional, currently serving as the Chief Sub Editor at ITV Digital (NewsX). A true Football-Fanatic Bong, his professional journey began at Zee Media, where he kicked off his career as a Sub-Editor for the sports team at India.com and CricketCountry. His ability to blend insightful analysis with rapid-fire news delivery soon led him to Times Network, where he served as a Senior Copy Editor for Times Now. Before his current role at NewsX, Debayan spent a significant tenure at OneIndia’s MyKhel as a Senior Sub Editor.
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