South Africa advanced to the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time in their history by defeating South Korea 0-1 in a thrilling match.
Bafana Bafana staged a stunning comeback after a disappointing 0-2 defeat to Mexico earlier in the tournament. After playing an important draw against the Czech Republic in the group stage, the South African team won the decisive match against South Korea and advanced to the next stage.
In this important match played in Monterrey, the only and decisive goal of the match was scored by Thapelo Masi Ko in the second half and ensured the victory of South Africa.
South Korea head coach Myung Bo-hong made a surprising decision not to include team captain and soccer star Son Heung-min in the starting lineup. The absence of Son, who is regarded as one of the greatest players in Asia, surprised the audience.
South Korea started the match strongly, with captain Kim Min-jae’s powerful header saved on the goal line by Aubrey Modiba, while Lee Kang-in’s effort went wide.
After the initial pressure, South Africa tightened their grip on the match and showed great spirit and attacking play, but their finishing was disappointing on several occasions. However, Masi Ko’s goal gave the South African team a historic victory and for the first time entered the knockout stages of the World Cup.
