History Made in Monterrey
South Africa have done it. For the first time in their football history, Bafana Bafana have advanced past the World Cup group stage. A clinical 1-0 victory over South Korea at Estadio Monterrey in Guadalupe delivered a result that will resonate across an entire continent.
Thapelo Maseko netted the winner in the 63rd minute, sending South Africa into a round-of-32 tie against Canada on Sunday and completing a remarkable recovery under manager Hugo Broos. The context makes this triumph even more extraordinary. South Africa began the tournament with a humbling nine-man defeat to Mexico in their opening group game. Nobody believed they could recover. They did exactly that.
Maseko’s goal arrived after substitute Tshepang Moremi burst down the left wing and played a low pass into Maseko’s feet at the top of the box. His first touch wrong-footed the defender before he swung a composed left-footed finish past the goalkeeper into the bottom corner. Brilliant. Ice cold. Historic.
It was also the first time South Africa had taken a lead in a World Cup match since their 2-1 victory against France back in June 2010. Sixteen years between leads on the biggest stage. The wait made this one taste all the sweeter.
Maseko earned Man of the Match with authority. He led South Africa in shots across the tournament with eight attempts, and though the goal was his only effort on target, it may prove to be one of the most important goals in his country’s football history.
Son and South Korea Left to Wait
South Korea’s evening was difficult from the first whistle. Their talisman Heung-Min Son endured a troubling night. The 33-year-old was benched for the first time in 13 World Cup games by coach Myung-Bo Hong, ending a run of 12 consecutive World Cup starts for the Tottenham forward. It was a bold call. It did not pay off.
Introduced at half-time, Son registered just one touch inside the penalty area across his 45 minutes on the pitch. A shadow of the player who tormented defences in his prime. South Korea had no answers for South Africa’s defensive structure throughout. Ronwen Williams barely had a save to make in what became one of the most comfortable nights of his career between the posts.
South Korea now face a nervous wait to discover whether they progress as one of the best third-placed teams. Their fate lies with results elsewhere. For South Africa, there is no wait. No uncertainty. Just history.
South Africa clinched second place in Group A with four points. They face Canada next. The underdog tag sits comfortably. And after what they produced in Monterrey, nobody should underestimate them.
For full Group A standings and round-of-32 preview, visit KCPredict. The complete match report and player ratings from Monterrey are available at Sky Sports.