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As Mexico Cruise Past Czechia
- Safiu Kehinde
South Africa has on Wednesday sealed a spot at the knockout stage as they edged past South Korea with 1-0 victory at the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Bafana Bafanas produced a disciplined display to secure a vital victory and strengthen their hopes of reaching the knockout phase.
With South Korea also seeking redemption from their sloppy start of the tournament, both teams endured a tense first half which ended goalless as they both created limited clear chances.
South Africa would however increase their attacking pressure after the break and eventually found the breakthrough through Thapelo Maseko.
Maseko struck in the 63rd minute after South Korea failed to clear their defensive lines properly.
South Korea introduced key attackers in search of an equaliser but struggled to break through.
The result left South Korea facing uncertainty over qualification, while South Africa moved closer to advancement.
“It was a difficult game, but we showed character and believed until the end,” South Africa’s players reflected.
Meanwhile , Mexico continued their impressive tournament run with a convincing 3-0 victory over Czechia.
The hosts controlled much of the contest and maintained their position as Group A leaders.
The first half ended without goals as Czechia defended strongly against Mexico’s attacking moves.
Mexico eventually broke the deadlock in the 54th minute through Mateo Chávez’s first international goal.
Julián Quiñones doubled the advantage seven minutes later after exploiting another defensive mistake.
Mexico added a third goal to complete a dominant performance and confirm their strong form.
Czechia struggled to create enough opportunities in spite of needing a positive result to keep hopes alive.
Mexico’s victory secured their place at the top of the group standings.
The final group results created further drama around the remaining qualification places.
South Africa’s triumph and Mexico’s emphatic win highlighted the intensity of the tournament’s group stage.