South Africa make history by qualifying with win over South Korea

South Africa have reached the World Cup knockout rounds for the first time in their history by finishing second in Group A with a 1-0 victory over South Korea.

Thapelo Maseko netted a deserved winner in the 63rd minute to set up a round of 32 tie with Canada on Sunday as their remarkable revival continued under manager Hugo Broos following their humbling nine-man defeat to Mexico in the opening game.

Heung-Min Son's difficult tournament continued as he was benched for the first time in 13 World Cup games by South Korea boss Myung-Bo Hong, whose side failed to build on their victory over the Czech Republic and now face a nerve-wracking wait to see if they qualify as one of the best third-placed teams.

As it happened | Teams | Stats | Group A guide

Third-place table and knockout bracket as it stands

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South Korea were unable to make their 68 per cent possession count in Guadalupe, lacking a cutting edge as South Africa had more shots and recorded a higher xG on their way to earning a famous victory.

The key moments from Guadalupe...

2: OFF THE LINE! Min-Jae Kim attacks a corner at the near post and sends a powerful header that hits South Africa defender Aubrey Modiba on the line.

8: JUST WIDE! Kang-In Lee fires a shot from inside that area that whistles past South Africa's right post.

30: DOUBLE SAVE! Seung-Gyu Kim parries Mbatha's powerful effort and Makgopa puts the follow-up straight into the goalkeeper's hands.

Also See:

Live group tables and third-place standings

Knockout bracket and fixtures

World Cup 2026 fixture schedule - your day-by-day guide

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46: TRIPLE CHANGE! Heung-Min Son comes on at half-time as part of three subs as South Korea move to a back four.

63: GOAL! Thapelo Maseko finishes superbly from inside the area to move South Africa up to second in Group A.

Son struggling to shine

Sky Sports' David Richardson:

Heung-Min Son's World Cup has yet to ignite.

South Korea's talisman, 33, has endured a difficult start to what is likely to be his fourth and final tournament, yet to have his moment like many of the game's big stars.

Son was replaced in the 69th minute of their opening match by Hyeon-Gyu, who netted the winner, and then lasted only 57 minutes in their defeat to Mexico.

He had the fewest touches of South Korea's starters in both of those games and manager Myung-Bo Hong made the bold, yet increasingly understandable, decision to bench him against South Africa, ending a run of 12 consecutive World Cup starts.

Introduced at half-time, Son was more involved, registering 29 touches, but only one came inside the penalty area. Once capable of terrifying defenders with his explosive pace from the wing, the 33-year-old has found his influence diminished by age and has often been suffocated when deployed through the middle.

Without a World Cup goal since 2018, Son will hope there is still one defining moment left in him should South Korea reach the knockout stages.

What the result means...

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