South African coach Hugo Broos may be the biggest winner in the Bafana Bafana performance.
South Africa is through to the Round of 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup for the first time in more than a decade after a 1-0 victory over South Korea with Thapelo Maseko’s perfect goal on the 63rd minute of the game.
Broos continues to write his name in the history books. Bafana are advancing with four points, placing them the runners-up in Group A with co-hosts Mexico topping with seven points after thrashing Czechia 3-0 at the Azteca Stadium. 
It would seem Broos’s selection of Relebohile Mofokeng and Evidence Makgopa to attack produced a different outcome.
Both teams went into halftime locked at 0-0 in their final Group A match at the Monterrey Stadium in Guadalupe, Mexico.
South Africa was on the verge of scoring, despite the fact that the game remained goalless. South Africa had 14-7 South Korea shots in the full match, with 4-2 shots on target.
Two minutes into the game, South Korea’s Kim Min-jae headed in Lee Kang-in’s corner, but South Africa cleared.
Eight minutes later, Lee Tae-seok crossed Lee Kang-in from the left but couldn’t get through.
It allowed South Africa to take control, creating more scoring opportunities. Maseko has long desired it. It was in the 19th minute where he appeared to have had a crack in it, but was stopped by Korea’s Lee Ki-hyuk.
South Africa nearly scored again in 30 minutes. Kim Seung-gyu made a fantastic stop after Evidence Makgopa’s close-range rebound.
Makgopa’s unlucky moment is when he failed to convert on the one-on-one opportunity and instead touched the ball right into the hands of the Korean goalie.
