History for Bafana Bafana: Maseko Sends South Africa Into the Last 32 for the First Time

MONTERREY, Mexico — For one moment in the 63rd minute, Thapelo Maseko stopped agonizing and simply struck — and with that swing of his left foot, he carried a nation somewhere it had never been. South Africa advanced to the knockout phase of the World Cup for the first time with a 1-0 victory over South Korea on Wednesday night, a result that turned a campaign written off after 90 chaotic opening minutes into one of the great stories of the tournament. When the final whistle sounded in Estadio Monterrey, the South Africa bench emptied onto the pitch. Thirty-six years of World Cup history, and the country had never felt anything like this.

The goal that made history

The breakthrough was a long time coming, and Maseko had spent the night threatening to be its villain before he became its hero. His strong left foot finally paid off in the 63rd minute, when a nifty cut-back and jink off newly substituted Tshepang Moremi's pinpoint pass fooled the Korean defenders. The finish was clinical: taking in the low cross from Moremi before picking out the bottom-right corner. It was a strike laden with meaning. It was Bafana's first non-penalty goal at a World Cup since 2010, and the bench was in raptures.

For the scorer, it was personal redemption inside a single match. Maseko led the game for shots with five and touches in the box with six, and though his goal was his only shot on target in the tournament, it could prove to be one of the most important goals in his country's history. The Mamelodi Sundowns forward had spurned big chances early before keeping his cool when it counted, and his message afterward was as simple as his finish was decisive. Asked what he would tell his younger self, Maseko said: “The one thing I would say is keep dreaming.”

From disaster to the second round

What makes the achievement remarkable is where it began. South Africa's tournament opened in mayhem, and few gave them a prayer of recovering. After picking up two red cards in their 2-0 defeat to Mexico in the very first match of the tournament, South Africa were given little to no chance of progressing — but they did not let their heads drop. A gritty draw with Czechia kept them alive, and the showdown with South Korea became a winner-takes-most shootout for second place behind the all-conquering hosts.

The path back was paved by players who had been written off themselves. Sphephelo "Yaya" Sithole, sent off in that opener, returned to anchor the midfield and help keep a clean sheet. "In the first two, three days, it wasn't easy," Sithole said. “I needed to pick myself up. I'm very proud of myself because I did.”

Coach Hugo Broos also gambled, and his gamble paid off where his counterpart's did not. Before the match, Broos answered the call from Bafana fans to start Orlando Pirates starboy Relebohile Mofokeng, which proved critical on the night.

"Heartbeating" to the final whistle

South Africa dominated for long stretches, but a one-goal lead meant a nervous finale, and the closing 20 minutes tested every supporter's resolve. Bafana essentially parked the bus, which was risky given the time remaining, and hearts were in mouths in the 93rd minute when goalkeeper Ronwen Williams was called upon for his most pressing save yet.

Broos, the veteran who has overseen the revival, could barely articulate what it meant. "We scored that goal, and it was 20 minutes of heartbeating and hoping that the game should be finished as soon as possible," said the Belgian. “So yes, we are in the second round. It's historic. But I'm very happy for the guys. I've worked with them for five years, and what we did in those five years is amazing.”

For the 74-year-old, the moment carried the weight of a career reaching its summit. "For me it was a rush of emotions, not only because we won the game, but also because it will probably be one of the last games of my career," Broos said. "When you can end a career in this way, I think every coach dreams of it." He pinpointed belief as the foundation of the run. "The mentality in this group is amazing," Broos said. “Everybody is working for everybody. We are not afraid of other teams.”

A maiden knockout tie awaits

South Africa's reward is a date with one of the co-hosts. They will face Canada in Los Angeles on June 28, a fixture that now carries genuine belief rather than mere participation. Bafana finished second in Group A with four points, behind a Mexico side that completed a flawless group stage by sweeping aside Czechia.

The significance of the milestone is hard to overstate for a footballing nation that has waited so long. The Bafana Bafana are playing in a World Cup for the first time since they hosted the tournament in 2010, and even on home soil that year they could not escape the group. Now, against expectation and after the bleakest of beginnings, they have finally broken through.

There will be time later to assess Canada and what a deeper run might require. For one night, though, South Africa allowed themselves to simply celebrate a first that can never be taken away. A renewed sense of energy and attacking flair, missing against Mexico and Czechia, had returned at exactly the right moment. Maseko told his younger self to keep dreaming. On a historic night in Monterrey, an entire country got to do the same.