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South Africa head coach Hugo Broos has praised Bafana Bafana’s determined performance following their hard-fought 1-0 victory over Korea Republic, Completesports.com reports.
The win at Monterrey Stadium secured South Africa’s place in the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup 2026 for the first time in their history.
Thapelo Maseko scored the decisive goal in the 63rd minute to seal the historic victory for the former African champions.
Bafana Bafana In Ascendancy
Bafana Bafana created the better opportunities in the first half, with South Korea goalkeeper Kim Seunggyu producing fine saves to deny Maseko, Thalente Mbatha and Evidence Makgopa.
After the interval, Korea Republic head coach Hong Myung-bo adopted a more attacking approach, introducing three substitutes, including captain Son Heung-min.
However, it was South Africa who broke the deadlock three minutes after the hour mark.
Read Also:World Cup 2026: South Africa Beat South Korea To Reach World Cup Knockout Stage For The First Time
Substitute Teshpang Moremi picked up the ball on the left flank, skipped past his marker and delivered a low cross to the edge of the penalty area. Maseko controlled the pass, shifted onto his left foot and calmly fired into the near post.
Broos Thumbs Up Deserved Victory
Broos insisted his side deserved the victory, citing their dominance in creating the better goalscoring opportunities throughout the contest.
“It is difficult to explain what this feels like. It is a fantastic experience. We played really well and created chances,” Broos was quoted by FIFA.com.
“Tactically we did really well and Korea Republic couldn’t find the spaces that they wanted. We scored the goal and then it was 20 minutes with a very high heart rate.
” What we did in the last five years is amazing. When you work together for such a long time there is a connection and it is more than a relationship between coach and players, we have become friends. We just have to enjoy this.”
Having finished as runners-up in Group A, Bafana Bafana will face Group B runners-up Canada in the Round of 32. The highly anticipated clash is scheduled for Sunday , 28 June in Los Angeles.
By Adeboye Amosu
4 Comments
Let us give it up for Bafana Bafana of South Africa!
Made up of almost entirely Africa-based players.
Deducted three points and three goals during the qualifiers, they still won their group.
Yesterday, missing key players through suspension and needing to beat a rugged, tactically-astute Asian country South Korea, who needed only a point to go through, Bafana Bafana came through.
Remarkable!
By the way, where’s our “Super Eagles” been hiding?
You are so right.
tony de ghanman, sharap dere! eediot!
yuh pipo wii neva left csn for Nigerian, always show yur haterd of anyting Nigeria
useless ghanaian. jaeloust pipos. Robbish!
Our SE are at home stuffing their faces with banga and starch.
That’s for today. Tomorrow, na eba and egusi soup.
Osimhen is playing 5 a side football in Lagos, while his mates are at the world cup, making history.
Ehen now, at least they have collected their match bonus. Or have they not collected it?
Oh, you mean NFF has still not paid them, after all the striking and boycotting of training? So they lost out on all fronts. World cup dem no go, bonus dem kuku no collect.
Congrats to banana banana. But the way they went about winning the qualifying group was a disgrace. Playing most of your away matches at home was coded cheating. But how is it that our NFF siddon like teddy bear dey observe cluelessly, nobody in the Glass House saw what was happening, nobody protested? So SA went ahead and cheated their way to he mundial.
A fool and his money are soon parted. With a federation run by incompetent nitwits, Nigeria watched cluelessly while SA was playing away matches in their home ground.