South Africa 1–0 South Korea: Maseko's Historic Goal Seals First Knockout Berth

Rele Mafekong's starring role

Multiple match reports credit Rele Mafekong with playing a starring role for Hugo Broos' side . However, the available sources do not provide verifiable statistical breakdowns for Mafekong — such as assists, chances created, or dribbles completed — so the full extent of his contribution cannot be independently confirmed from the reporting available.

Heung-min Son: benched or not?

Headline reports from Sky Sports indicate that South Korea captain Heung-min Son was benched for the match and struggled after coming on at halftime . Other match sources available here do not explicitly confirm or dispute this line-up detail, so it should be treated as reported but not independently cross-verified from the provided source set.

Historic qualification: Bafana Bafana break through

South Africa finished second in Group A with 4 points (1 win, 1 draw, 1 loss), scoring 2 goals and conceding 3 . This marked the first time the nation advanced past the group stage of a World Cup . The full-time whistle sparked jubilation on the Hugo Broos' bench as his side secured their place in the round of 32 .

Round-of-32 opponent

Multiple ESPN sources report that South Africa will face Canada in the round of 32 . The match is scheduled to take place at SoFi Stadium in Inwood, California .

Mexico 3–0 Czechia

In the simultaneous Group A match in Mexico City, Mexico defeated Czechia 3–0 . Combined with the South Africa result, Mexico won the group with a perfect 9 points (3 wins, 6 goals for, 0 goals against) . Czechia finished bottom with 1 point and were eliminated .

South Korea's uncertain fate

South Korea finished third in Group A on 3 points (1 win, 2 losses, 2 goals for, 3 goals against) . Under the expanded 2026 World Cup format, the eight best third-placed teams across 12 groups also advance to the round of 32 . The Guardian reported that South Korea "still retain a possibility" of progressing . Their fate depended on results in other groups.

Final Group A standings

The final Group A table was as follows :

Group A results recap

• June 11: Mexico 2–0 South Africa
• June 12: South Korea 2–1 Czechia
• June 18: Czechia 1–1 South Africa
• June 19: Mexico 1–0 South Korea
• June 24: Mexico 3–0 Czechia
• June 24: South Africa 1–0 South Korea