25/06/2026
BAFANA BAFANA ARE IN THE ROUND OF 32!
That is Thapelo Maseko ( #12) being hoisted up in pure, uncontainable joy, he finished off a lightning-fast counterattack with a left-footed strike from inside the box to make it 1-0 against South Korea (VAVEL USA), and that goal was enough. South Africa beat South Korea 1-0 at Monterrey Stadium on June 24, 2026, sealing a place in the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup for the first time in their history. (Outlook India)
The player doing the lifting is one of his Bafana teammates celebrating what the whole nation will be talking about for decades.
What happens next? As runners-up in Group A, South Africa will face the runner-up of Group B which features Canada, Switzerland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Qatar in the Round of 32. (ESPN) Switzerland won Group B, so Bafana face the Group B runner-up.
This is South Africa's first time past the group stage since they hosted the World Cup in 2010. Sixteen years in the wilderness and one left-footed strike changed everything.
Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika. 🟡🟢⚫
