South Africa Qualifies for 2026 World Cup Knockout Stage

South Africa became the second African country to qualify for the knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup, following a 1-0 win against South Korea. The match took place in the early hours of today, with Thapelo Maseko scoring the only goal in the second half.

This victory allowed South Africa to finish in second place in their group with four points, progressing to the knockout stage behind Mexico, who topped the group with nine points after defeating Czechia 3-0. South Africa joins Morocco as the second African team to advance, with Morocco having earlier secured their spot by defeating Haiti 4-2, finishing second in their group with seven points, behind Brazil, who led the group.