One goal. Sixty-three minutes. Twenty-two years old. That is all it took for Thapelo Maseko to write South Africa’s name into World Cup history. Bafana Bafana defeated South Korea 1-0 at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey on June 25, 6:30 AM IST, a result that sends South Africa into the Round of 32 for the first time in their history. They hosted this tournament in 2010 and fell at the group stage. Now, sixteen years later, they have gone further than any South African team has ever gone. Maseko’s low, left-footed strike was more than a goal. It was a full stop at the end of a very long sentence.
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South Korea Press, South Africa Hold
South Korea came into this match knowing they needed a win. They had the quality on paper. Kang-In Lee, Heung-Min Son, and Min-Jae Kim — experience and craft throughout. And they started with the urgency that the situation demanded.
Two minutes in, Kim met a corner at the near post and powered a header toward goal. Aubrey Modiba was there. He cleared it off the line. South Africa had already defended for their lives, and the match was barely breathing.
In the 8th minute, Kang-In Lee carved out space inside the penalty area and pulled his trigger — and dragged the shot just wide of the right post. South Korea bossed the opening exchanges with 68% possession, but their final touch kept letting them down.
South Africa’s turn came on the counter. Thalente Mbatha drove a long-range effort in the 30th minute that Seung-Gyu Kim parried straight into the path of Evidence Makgopa. The follow-up shot cannoned straight back into the goalkeeper’s hands. A double opportunity, squandered.
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Son Enters. Ronwen Williams Answers.
Manager Myung-Bo Hong made a bold call at half-time. Heung-Min Son — South Korea’s most celebrated player — had been kept on the bench for the entire first half, a tactical choice that raised eyebrows in the stadium. He came on as part of a triple substitution.
In the 58th minute, Son received the ball inside the box and couldn’t get it under control in time before Bafana Bafana’s defenders closed him down. Two minutes later, Oh Hyeon-gyu redirected a dangerous cross toward goal, and it looked destined to go in — until Ronwen Williams flung himself to his right and turned it around the post. A stunning save. The kind that wins matches without ever appearing on the scoresheet.
Maseko. History.
The 63rd minute. Substitute Tshepang Moremi received the ball wide and drove a precise cross into the South Korean box. The defence failed to deal with it. Maseko, just 22 years old, controlled it cleanly and, without hesitation, sent a low left-footed shot into the bottom near corner. Seung-Gyu Kim could do nothing.
South Africa 1-0 South Korea. A stadium that had been tense and tight for an hour suddenly had a different atmosphere. Bafana Bafana’s bench erupted. Their supporters, scattered through the Monterrey crowd, erupted. One goal. Sixty-three minutes of football. A nation’s sporting history changed.
Williams Saves History in the Final Seconds
South Korea pushed desperately in the closing stages. Park Jin-seob launched a late header at full power toward the top corner in the 90th minute. Williams was already moving. He flew across his goal, got both hands to it, and tipped it wide. A flying save to match the moment.
The referee blew the final whistle at 90+3 minutes. South Africa had done it.
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Group A: How It Finished
Mexico finished top of Group A. South Africa takes second place with four points. South Korea finished third on three points with a goal difference of minus one. They now wait on other group results to learn whether they advance as one of the best third-placed teams — a hope, not a certainty.
South Africa faces Canada in the Round of 32 on Sunday, June 28, in Inglewood, California. A match that seemed unimaginable for Bafana Bafana when this tournament began. It is now very real.
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