One goal changed everything for a team that looked dead and buried just days ago. A 63rd-minute strike from Thapelo Maseko handed South Africa a 1-0 win over South Korea on Wednesday night. The result lifted them from bottom of Group A all the way to second.
South Africa World Cup Turnaround Stuns Group A
This run looked impossible after the opening match. South Africa lost 2-0 to Mexico and ended that game with just nine men after two red cards. A draw with Czechia followed, leaving them needing a win to survive.
Maseko’s goal delivered exactly that. As a result, South Africa now face Canada on Sunday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. It will be their first ever appearance in the World Cup knockout rounds.
Meanwhile, Mexico continued to dominate the group. El Tri beat Czechia 2-0 to become the first side to win all three group games. The comfortable margin let manager Javier Aguirre introduce veteran goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa in the 78th minute.
The 40-year-old keeper made history this summer too. Ochoa joined Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the only men picked for six World Cup squads. Furthermore, Wednesday marked his fourth World Cup on the pitch since breaking through in 2014.
What South Africa World Cup Hopes Look Like Next
Beat Canada and the reward grows bigger. South Africa would then meet the Group F winner or the Group C runner-up on July 4 in Houston. However, Canada will not roll over easily.
South Korea, meanwhile, are not finished yet. They sit ahead of Scotland on goal difference after Scotland fell 3-0 to Brazil. However, danger still lurks for South Korea. They could miss out if Cape Verde and Belgium both win or draw. One more win from a rival on a single point would then end their run.
For South Africa, though, the mission is simple. Keep winning, and a fairytale that began in chaos could roll on.
