History was made for South Africa as Bafana Bafana delivered one of the most extraordinary turnarounds in their football history, sealing a place in the knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup for the first time ever.

After suffering a heavy defeat to hosts Mexico, during which they were reduced to nine men following two red cards, South Africa bounced back dramatically on Wednesday. A late strike from Thapelo Maseko earned them a 1-0 victory over South Korea, propelling them into second place in Group A.

From one host nation to another, South Africa now prepare to take on Canada in the last 16, with a chance to script another historic chapter. The team has adopted a resilient, siege-like mindset. Captain Ronwen Williams explained how the criticism they faced became a source of motivation, saying, “Everybody was against us, we used that as energy to fight today. It’s amazing what we have achieved.”

While South Korea can still reach the knockout phase as one of the best third-placed teams, they will rue missed chances. South Africa took full advantage of Mexico’s comfortable 3-0 win over the Czech Republic to move up in the standings.

Maseko broke the deadlock in the 63rd minute, driving a precise shot into the bottom corner to give South Africa the lead they desperately needed.

South Korea, who opted to start their star forward Son Heung-min on the bench, remain on three points. South Africa’s progress marks the end of a long wait after failing to advance past the group stage in each of their previous World Cup campaigns in 1998, 2002, and 2010.

The Koreans had started brightly and nearly scored within two minutes. Kim Min-jae’s header was cleared off the line by Aubrey Modiba, and moments later Lee Kang-in sent a shot just over the crossbar from inside the box.

As the first half unfolded, South Africa started to find their rhythm. In the 19th minute, Maseko latched onto a through ball and looked poised to score, only for Lee Gi-hyuk to produce a crucial last-ditch tackle to deny him.

South Korea’s goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu was called into action soon after, pulling off a brilliant double save — first blocking Thalente Mbatha’s strike and then stopping Evidence Makgopa’s follow-up attempt.

Despite creating few opportunities in the second half, South Africa made their moment count. Maseko, set up by a well-weighted pass from Moremi, shifted the ball onto his left foot and curled a superb shot into the bottom right corner, sparking jubilant celebrations among the South African players and fans alike.