South Africa have qualified for the FIFA World Cup knockout stage for the first time in their history after defeating South Korea 1-0 in a decisive Group A clash on Wednesday.
The historic victory marked a remarkable turnaround for Bafana Bafana, who bounced back after losing their opening match of the tournament to Mexico.
“It’s historic. I’m very happy for the players. What we’ve achieved over the last five years is amazing,” South Africa coach Hugo Broos said.
After drawing with the Czech Republic in their second game, South Africa needed a win against South Korea to secure a place in the round of 16.
The breakthrough came in the 63rd minute when Thapelo Maseko calmly finished from close range to score the only goal of the match.
South Korea pushed for an equaliser in the closing stages, but South Africa held firm to seal a famous victory.
The result means Bafana Bafana will now face Canada in the knockout stage, while Mexico finished top of the group after winning all three of their matches.
South Africa’s qualification represents one of the country’s biggest achievements on the World Cup stage since hosting the tournament in 2010.
Source: AFP
