Refresh story for latest updates, read from bottom up ...6.50pm - A little on how this LIVE UPDATES BLOG is going to work. Your Blogger is about to turn in and try to get a few hours’ sleep - full day ahead and no rest for the wicked.This story is scheduled to go live at about 1pm or just after.Your Blogger will resume reporting from around 2.40am.See you later!6.45pm - Quick match facts:Kickoff: 7pm in Monterrey, Mexico; 3am South Africa timeVenue: Estadio MonterreyCapacity: 53,000Match officials: Referee: Facundo Tello (Argentina); assistant referee 1: Juan Pablo Belatti (Argentina); assistant referee 2: Gabriel Chade (Argentina); fourth official: Andrés Rojas (Colombia); video assistant referee (VAR): Hernán Mastrángelo (Argentina)6.41pm - Mahlatse Mphahlele’s take on what Bafana need to do to beat South Korea:Don’t concede early In the matches against Mexico and Czechia, Bafana Bafana got off to a poor start by conceding inside the first 10 minutes, and they can’t afford that this time around. They never recovered against Mexico and had to dig deep against Czechia, with Teboho Mokoena scoring a late penalty to salvage a draw that kept them alive in the tournament. Coming back from a goal down for a win at this level against such a strong side as South Korea would be a tough ask. Don’t play the occasion Given that SA has to win at all costs, there is pressure, but the good aspect for Bafana is that the core of the team has played in matches of consequence before. Mamelodi Sundowns players were in a high-pressure situation a few weeks ago in the Caf Champions League final, where they beat AS FAR, and Orlando Pirates have featured in many cup finals in the last four years. The young Buccaneers responded well to pressure in the closing stages, usurping the Betway Premiership title in 2025/26 from successive eight-time winners, Downs. Get tactics and formation right Hugo Broos got his formation and personnel spot on against Czechia, but the issue is whether to tinker a little bit and throw in Relebohile Mofokeng at the start for his creativity. The other thing that worked wonders in the last game was unleashing Thapelo Maseko and Oswin Appollis on the wings to challenge Czechia’s defence. Nullify South Korea’s pace South Korea’s biggest weapons are pace and stamina because they run for 90 minutes, and this is what the Bafana Bafana must guard against. SA fullbacks Khuliso Mudau and Aubrey Modiba will have to bring their A-game because the Koreans usually attack from the wings, where they put dangerous crosses into the box. Continue where they left off against Czechia Bafana Bafana ended the last match with attacking momentum and on the ascendancy, where they put Czechia under a lot of pressure, and that’s how their equalising goal came. They need to have that control and calmness in the early stages of the game so South Korea does not easily settle into the game and has to react to what is thrown at them.6.22pm - Here is Mahlatse Mphahlele’s lowdown on the some of the quality Korea have in their ranks:The defence is marshalled by veteran Kim Min-jae of Bayern Munich, who is widely regarded as one of the best defenders in the German Bundesliga. He operates alongside Lee Han-Beom of Midtjylland in Denmark. In the midfield, the “Taegeuk Warriors” have Lee Kang-in of Paris Saint-Germain, Hwang Inbeom of Feyenoord Rotterdam, Lee Jae-Sung of Mainz and Seol Young-Woo of Crvena Zvezda. For much-needed goals, South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo relies heavily on Hwang Hee-chan of Wolverhampton Wanderers and hugely experienced 33-year-old former Tottenham Hotspur striker Son Heung-min, who plays for Los Angeles FC.(Weds) 5.20pm - Good morning to the intrepid risers who have taken it upon themselves to take in this huge 2026 FIFA World Cup clash from a Bafana Bafana perspective.These are the diehard fans and lovers of Bafana Bafana.Coffee ready? Hope it’s a strong one, with all the kick and bite of an Mbekezeli Mbokazi sliding challenge.Work alerted you may be a little bleary today when you get in?So after two games - one a bit poor (not so much as many in SA decried, perhaps, though, as your Blogger postulated in his previous LIVE UPDATES piece on the Czechia clash), with a 2-0 home defeat under global lights in the World Cup opener against Mexico at the Azteca, the other much better, with plenty of room for improvement, with the 1-1 draw against Czechia in Atlanta - it has all come down to this.Bafana Bafana meet South Korea at Estadio Monterrey in a must-win clash for the South Africans to remain in the tournament. Korea need a draw or win. The top two teams in each of 12 groups and eight best runners-up progress to the last 32.If Czechia upset Mexico at Estadio Azteca and Bafana beat South Korea, the South Africans will not progress as automatic qualifiers but most likely four points will be enough to go through in third.Again, I am Marc Strydom, TimesLIVE and Arena Holdings Sports Editor and your LIVE UPDATES BLOG host. I am not in Stadio Monterrey but my rather freezing living room in Melville Johannesburg. Hugely experienced and knowledgeable Senior Sports Reporter Mahlatse Mphahlele is in Mexico providing excellent coverage of Bafana at the World Cup for Arena, and catch his match report at probably about just after 5pm. Bafana on paper, in experience and pedigree probably have no place beating a superbly drilled, workaholic South Korea with genuine quality all-round. But this is football. They have shown signs of settling at the level, have talent, and yes, your Blogger is going to put his neck up for chopping and say they can pull off an upset. He is going to go further and speculate they just even might.Pull up your coffees, your heaters and your blankets, tur the lights down low! This is it ladies and gentleman! The final group match for South Africa at this entertaining World Cup. Let’s find out if our team can remain in North America just a little longer.... to follow, a bit about the game.All the World Cup fixtures hereWorld Cup page hereAll the group profiles hereStar player profiles hereBafana news here