South Africa have made it to the FIFA World Cup knockout stage after a thrilling 1-0 victory over South Korea. Thapelo Maseko’s second-half goal was the decider, giving his team a historic win.
In a nail-biting match in Monterrey, South Africa pulled off a historic 1-0 win against South Korea to book their spot in the FIFA World Cup knockouts.
The hero of the day was Thapelo Maseko, who scored the all-important goal in the second half, securing a famous victory for his country. This win means South Africa will now face Canada in the next round in Los Angeles on June 28.
This was a completely different South African side from the one that looked dull in their matches against Mexico and the Czech Republic. They came out with a lot of energy and purpose.
Coach Hugo Broos’s decision to start Relebohile Mofokeng, a move fans had been demanding, really paid off. He also brought in striker Evidence Makgopa to the starting eleven, which beefed up their attack.
On the other hand, South Korea’s gamble to rest their superstar Son Heung-min from the starting lineup backfired badly. They seemed a bit too confident, having already secured a pre-quarterfinal spot.
South Africa dominated the first half but just couldn’t find the back of the net. They had some great chances, especially in the 28th minute when Thapelo Maseko and Tshepang Moremi missed golden opportunities, making the South African camp a bit nervous.
South Korea brought on Son Heung-min in the second half to turn things around, but it was South Africa who finally broke the deadlock. In the 63rd minute, Maseko finished a brilliant move, converting a pass from Tshepang Moremi to send the fans wild.
In the final minutes, South Korea threw everything they had at them, but goalkeeper Ronwen Williams was a wall. His stunning save in the 93rd minute, where he denied a powerful Korean header, sealed the victory for his team.
Yaya Sithole, who was back in the team after a red card against Mexico, also had a solid game in the midfield. In the other group match, Mexico comfortably beat the Czech Republic 3-0.