Maseko the hero as South Africa reach a World Cup knockout stage for the first time
Thapelo Maseko's second-half strike beat South Korea 1-0 and carried South Africa into the Round of 32, a historic first for Bafana Bafana, who will now face Canada.
History does not always arrive with a flourish; sometimes it comes from a single, decisive strike. For South Africa, Thapelo Maseko's goal against South Korea was exactly that, a 63rd-minute winner that secured a 1-0 victory and sent Bafana Bafana into the knockout stage of a World Cup for the first time in their history.
It was a result built on belief and control. South Africa dominated long stretches of a tense Group A decider, pressing for the breakthrough that would change their tournament, and when Maseko found the net the relief and joy were palpable. A nation that had never before navigated its way out of the group stage finally crossed that threshold.
The significance is hard to overstate. South Africa have appeared at World Cups before, including as hosts, but had always fallen at the first hurdle. Reaching the Round of 32 is a genuine landmark for the country's football, the kind of achievement that inspires a new generation and rewards years of patient rebuilding.
The win sees them finish second in their group and set up a last-32 meeting with Canada, a tie they will approach with nothing to lose and a wave of momentum behind them. Sides playing with the freedom of having already made history can be dangerous opponents, and South Africa will fancy their chances of extending this run.
For South Korea, the night ended in disappointment. Having taken a calculated gamble by dropping their captain for the decider, they could not find a way past a determined South African side and finish third, their tournament over. It is a harsh exit for a team that came in with genuine ambitions of progressing.
The contrast at the final whistle told the story: one set of players sinking to the turf in despair, the other celebrating a breakthrough decades in the making. Tournament football deals in exactly these fine margins, and on this night they fell South Africa's way.
Maseko's name will be remembered long after this World Cup, the scorer of the goal that took his country somewhere it had never been. For a footballing nation with deep passion and a proud history, it is a moment to savour.
Few gave Bafana Bafana much chance of reaching this stage before the tournament, which makes the achievement all the sweeter. They have earned their place in the last 32 on merit, and they arrive there with belief surging through the squad.
Attention now turns to Canada and the Round of 32, with South Africa daring to dream of more. For every result and the shape of the knockout bracket, follow the latest football news.