South Africa has reached the knockout phase of the World Cup for the first time in its history following a 1-0 win against South Korea on Wednesday night.
Thapelo Maseko scored the decisive goal in the 63rd minute, assisted by Tshepang Moremi. The victory propelled South Africa to finish second in Group A, trailing Mexico, which won all three of its group-stage matches.
South Africa will face Canada, the second-place team from Group B, in a knockout match scheduled for Sunday in Inglewood, California. Previously, South Africa had failed to advance from the group stage in 1998, 2002, and as the host nation in 2010.
The team opened its World Cup campaign with a 2-0 loss to Mexico, followed by a 1-1 draw against the Czech Republic. Entering its final group game, South Africa was behind both Mexico and the favored South Korean team before securing the upset.
South Korea began the tournament with a 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic and a 1-0 loss to Mexico. The Taegeuk Warriors' progression to the knockout round is pending the outcomes of other games.
South Korea has a history of reaching the round of 16, having done so in 2010 and 2022. In 2002, the team achieved its best performance, reaching fourth place and becoming the first Asian team to reach the knockout stage.