South Africa make history by qualifying with win over South Korea

South Africa vs Korea Republic; FIFA World Cup Group A South Africa vs Korea Republic. FIFA World Cup Group A. Estadio BBVA. World Cup 2026: South Africa 1-0 South Korea - Thapelo Maseko's winner makes history after Heung-Min Son benched Match report as South Africa finish second in Group A to reach knockout rounds with win over South Korea; Thapelo Maseko scores second-half winner; Heung-Min Son struggles again after coming on at half-time; South Korea can still qualify as a third-placed team Thursday 25 June 2026 04:26, UK South Africa reached the World Cup knockout rounds for the first time in their history by finishing second in Group A with a 1-0 victory over South Korea. Thapelo Maseko netted a deserved winner in the 63rd minute to set up a round of 32 tie with Canada on Sunday as their remarkable revival continued under manager Hugo Broos following their humbling nine-man defeat to Mexico in the opening game. Heung-Min Son's difficult tournament continued as he was benched for the first time in 13 World Cup games by South Korea boss Myung-Bo Hong, whose side failed to build on their victory over the Czech Republic and now face a nerve-wracking wait to see if they qualify as one of the best third-placed teams. - As it happened | Teams | Stats | Group A guide - Third-place table and knockout bracket as it stands - World Cup day-by-day schedule | Latest: World Cup - Follow our World Cup coverage in the Sky Sports App South Korea were unable to make their 68 per cent possession count in Guadalupe, lacking a cutting edge as South Africa had more shots and recorded a higher xG on their way to earning a famous victory. The key moments from Guadalupe... 2: OFF THE LINE! Min-Jae Kim attacks a corner at the near post and sends a powerful header that hits South Africa defender Aubrey Modiba on the line. 8: JUST WIDE! Kang-In Lee fires a shot from inside that area that whistles past South Africa's right post. 30: DOUBLE SAVE! SOUTH AFRICA SHOULD LEAD! Seung-Gyu Kim parries Mbatha's powerful effort and Makgopa puts the follow-up straight into the goalkeeper's hands. 46: TRIPLE CHANGE! Heung-Min Son comes on at half-time as part of a triple change with South Korea moving to a back four. 63: GOAL! Thapelo Maseko finishes superbly from inside the area to move South Africa up to second in Group A. [Image text:] FIFA 17 13 13 12