South Africa stun South Korea to make World Cup history

South Africa defeated South Korea 1-0 on Wednesday, June 25, 2026, to advance to the FIFA World Cup knockout rounds for the first time in their history. The winning goal was scored by forward Thapelo Maseko. The result marked a remarkable turnaround for Bafana Bafana, who had been widely written off after a 2-0 opening defeat to Group A winners Mexico — their first World Cup appearance since hosting the tournament in 2010.