South Africa joined the list of African nations to secure a win at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after edging South Korea 1-0 in their final Group A fixture on Thursday.
A second-half strike from Thapelo Maseko at the Mexico City Stadium sealed the victory for Bafana Bafana, helping them finish second in the group on four points and advance to the Round of 32.
The result marked South Africa’s first win of the tournament following a 2-0 defeat to Mexico in their opening match and a 1-1 draw against Czechia.
With the victory, South Africa became the sixth African side to register a win at the competition, joining Egypt, Algeria, Ivory Coast, Ghana and Morocco.
Ivory Coast opened Africa’s winning account with a 1-0 triumph over Ecuador, while Ghana followed with a 1-0 victory against Panama. Morocco defeated Scotland 1-0 before securing a 4-2 win over Haiti. Egypt claimed a 3-1 victory over New Zealand, while Algeria overcame Jordan 2-1.
Senegal, Cape Verde, DR Congo and Tunisia are still searching for their first victories at the tournament.
