South Africa joined Mexico in advancing to the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup, finishing second in Group 1 on 4 points after a precious 1-0 victory over South Korea in the third and final round of group-stage fixtures at Monterrey Stadium.
In the other match in the same group, Mexico continued their impressive run and claimed a third consecutive win, beating the Czech Republic 3-0 to move to a perfect 9 points, confirming their place at the top of Group 1.
Mexico had already sealed qualification in the second round after beating South Korea 1-0, having opened their campaign with a 2-0 victory over South Africa.
South Korea finished the group stage in third place on 3 points, keeping their hopes of reaching the round of 32 alive through the best third-placed teams route, pending the completion of results in other groups and calculations around the eight qualification spots reserved for third-placed sides.
The Czech Republic were eliminated early, finishing bottom of the group on just 1 point. They opened with a 1-2 defeat to South Korea, drew 1-1 with South Africa, then suffered a further defeat to Mexico in the final round.
Parity and caution
The first half ended goalless in a match defined by tactical caution and a high degree of competitiveness between the two sides. South Korea started the brighter of the two teams and threatened early through attempts from Oh Hyeon-gyu and Lee Kang-in, but lacked precision in the final touch.
South Africa responded with clear attacking intent, with active runs from Thabelo Maseko and Relebohile Mofokeng on the flanks.
The 30th minute produced the most dangerous chances of the encounter, when South Korean goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu saved two successive shots from Thalente Mbatha and Evidence Makgopa to keep his sheet clean. South Africa continued to press through efforts from outside the box.
South Korea relied on quick counter-attacks and the movement of Hwang Hee-chan and Lee Kang-in. The tempo rose slightly in the closing minutes, but South Africa's attempts from Mofokeng, Maseko and Mudau failed to find the net, and the half ended goalless.
The decisive moment
The second half began with bolder South African attempts. Thabelo Maseko nearly broke the deadlock in the 51st minute, but South Korea's defence cleared his effort, before Thalente Mbatha struck another shot that went past the post.
South Korea responded with sustained pressure in search of the opener; their most dangerous moment came in the 60th minute when Oh Hyeon-gyu met a precise cross and fired a powerful header, only for South African goalkeeper Ronwen Williams to produce a brilliant save.
The decisive moment arrived in the 63rd minute when South Africa capitalised on a swift counter-attack, with substitute Tshepang Moremi delivering a precise pass to Thabelo Maseko, who found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper and slotted the ball with his left foot into the bottom-right corner to score the opener.
After the goal, South Korea intensified their attacking pressure and made several substitutions to reinvigorate their front line, relying more heavily on the movement of Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in. They earned a number of corners and set pieces in the final minutes, but South Africa's defence remained compact and closed spaces effectively.
The closing minutes saw the physical intensity rise, and South Korea continued their attempts through added time without managing to find the net.
In the end, South Africa held on to their precious lead to win 1-0, earning a result that secured second place in Group 1 and a spot in the round of 32. South Korea's qualification calculations grew more complicated, as they now await the results of the remaining groups in hope of advancing as one of the best third-placed teams.