South Africa pulled off a stunning 1-0 upset victory over heavily favored South Korea at Estadio Monterrey on Wednesday night. The historic result secured Bafana Bafana second place in Group A and completely altered the upcoming knockout bracket for Canada.
Forward Thapelo Maseko delivered the decisive blow in the 63rd minute, driving a low shot into the bottom corner off a precise cross from Tshepang Moremi. A resilient defensive effort, highlighted by an early goal-line clearance from Aubrey Modiba, kept the South Korean attack scoreless until the final whistle.
The upset provides a significant logistical break for the Canadian squad. By taking second place in the group, South Africa will now face Group B runner-up Canada at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Sunday, June 28. A matchup against South Korea in Southern California would have forced Canada to play in a highly hostile environment against a deeply entrenched Korean-American fanbase.
The victory marks the first time South Africa has advanced past the group stage of a FIFA World Cup, breaking a historic barrier after failing to escape the opening round in 1998, 2002, and as the host nation in 2010, according to the AP. The squad entered the match as severe underdogs following a disastrous 2-0 loss to Mexico that included two red cards.
South Korean head coach Hong Myung-bo made the controversial choice to bench star captain Son Heung-min at kickoff. Son was brought on at halftime to chase the game, but the tactical shift failed to break down the South African defense. “If I knew the result beforehand, I probably would have made some different choices,” Hong told reporters after the match. “On the world stage like this, the responsibility is ultimately down to the head coach.”