Bafana Bafana forward Thapelo Maseko celebrates his goal against South Korea.
Bafana Bafana made history on Thursday morning after defeating South Korea 1-0 to secure qualification for the FIFA World Cup knockout stages for the first time in South African football history.
A solitary second-half strike from Thapelo Maseko proved enough to separate the sides as South Africa finished second in Group A and booked their place in the round of 32 of the competition, where they will face Switzerland.
For a nation that waited more than two decades to return to the World Cup through qualification rather than host nation status, this was a result that instantly became one of the most important in modern South African sports history.
Ironically, the match-winner had endured one of the most frustrating evenings of his international career before finally delivering the decisive moment. After wasting several opportunities throughout the contest, Maseko finally lit up households across South Africa in the 63rd minute when he calmly controlled and finished a low cross from substitute Tshepang Moremi into the bottom corner.
