<\/p>\n
A decisive second-half strike from Thapelo Maseko proved enough to seal the victory, as Hugo Broos\u2019 side delivered a disciplined and focused performance under pressure.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The breakthrough came in the 63rd minute, when substitute Tshepang Moremi made an immediate impact, setting up Maseko with a precise pass. The winger responded with a clinical near-post finish, leaving South Korea\u2019s goalkeeper with little chance.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
SA started with greater intent than in previous matches, creating early pressure and controlling possession for long spells. Relebohile Mofokeng and Oswin Appollis were particularly influential, helping unlock chances in the final third.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Bafana\u2019s best opportunity of the first half fell to Evidence Makgopa, but his close-range effort was saved, while Maseko and Mofokeng also came close as the pressure mounted.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
At the other end, goalkeeper Ronwen Williams and his defence were called into action, with Aubrey Modiba clearing an early header off the line to keep the scores level. South Korea responded with greater urgency in the second half, introducing key players including Son Heung-min, but struggled to break through a well-organised SA defence.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Williams made a crucial save on the hour mark, while centre-backs Ime Okon and Mbekezeli Mbokazi stood firm under sustained pressure. As Korea pushed for an equaliser late in the game, SA maintained their composure, clearing dangerous deliveries and limiting clear chances.
\nDespite a tense final few minutes, SA held on to secure a memorable victory.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The win sees SA finish second in Group A with four points, behind group leaders Mexico, who completed a perfect run with a 3-0 win over Czechia. South Korea ended third with three points and must wait to see if they progress as one of the best third-placed teams.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The result marks a major milestone for SA football, with the team now progressing to the Round of 32, where they will face Canada, the Group B runners-up.<\/p>\n
–SABC\/ChannelAfrica–<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":37976,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"news-type":[78,20],"class_list":["post-37975","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-type-featured","news-type-sport","entry"],"acf":{"short_description":"South Africa (SA) have secured a historic place in the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup, defeating South Korea 1-0 in Monterrey to advance beyond the group stage for the first time.","published_date":"","news_description":"South Africa (SA) have secured a historic place in the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup, defeating South Korea 1-0 in Monterrey to advance beyond the group stage for the first time.","form_embed":"","author":"","image_caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/37975","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/37975\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37977,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/37975\/revisions\/37977"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37976"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37975"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-type?post=37975"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}