Government has congratulated Bafana Bafana on making history by progressing to the knockout stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, following their hard-fought victory over South Korea at the Estadio Monterrey in Guadalupe, early on Thursday morning.
Bafana Bafana boosted their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a 1-0 victory over South Korea in their final Group A match in Mexico. Thapelo Maseko was named Player of the Match after scoring the decisive goal that secured South Africa's historic win.
"The impressive result is a proud moment for South Africa and reflects the team's determination, discipline and fighting spirit on one of the world's biggest sporting stages. The performance has inspired hope and excitement among South Africans at home and abroad, while showcasing the country's football talent to the world.
"Government wishes the team well for the remainder of the tournament as the team continues to fly the South African flag high and make the nation proud," the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) said.
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According to the South African Football Association, Bafana Bafana have never progressed beyond the group stages of the global showpiece, having exited in the opening round of the 1998, 2002 and 2010 FIFA World Cups.
The South African senior men's national team will now face 2026 FIFA World Cup co-hosts Canada in the Round of 32 in Los Angeles on Sunday, 28 June 2026.
Coach Hugo Broos said he was pleased with the team's performance.
"I think we played a very good game, tactically. It was very good, and everybody did their job. The difference with this game and our previous match (against Czechia) was that when we had the ball, we were very dangerous, and that was very important.
"We had very quick players on the pitch, and we used them very well. We found the spaces during the good moments. And then yeah, we needed that goal. We had a few chances in the first half, and I told the players at halftime to keep on believing," he said.
