ATLANTA — Written off before the tournament even began, South Africa silenced their doubters in dramatic fashion Wednesday night, defeating South Korea 1-0 to reach the World Cup’s last 32 for the very first time.
The team’s path to the knockout stage was anything but smooth. A poor showing against co-host Mexico at Azteca Stadium and a lucky penalty that salvaged a draw against the Czech Republic in Atlanta left the squad on shaky ground. But a revamped, more aggressive lineup delivered when it mattered most, claiming second place in Group A with their victory in Monterrey.
Captain Ronwen Williams said the team drew strength from the widespread belief that they had no shot at advancing.
“This team was under immense pressure, not only on the field but off the field,” Williams said. “And for the players to show up, when our backs were against the wall … I mean, when I saw the publications posting potential teams to go at the group stage and we were given no chance, you know that fuels something inside of us, that everyone is against us. We used that as motivation and as energy to fight. And the fight that the guys showed … amazing.”
This marks the first time in four World Cup appearances that South Africa has made it out of the group stage. The sting of past failure runs deep — at the 2010 tournament, which South Africa hosted, the team made history for all the wrong reasons by becoming the first host nation ever eliminated in the opening round.
Coach Hugo Broos credited the team’s tactical discipline and speed for the turnaround.
“I think we played a very good game, tactically,” Broos said. “Everybody did their job. The difference between this game and our previous match was that when we had the ball we were very dangerous, and that was very important. We had very quick players on the pitch and used them all, finding the spaces.”
Despite creating opportunities throughout the match, South Africa’s long-standing struggle with finishing in front of goal kept the scoreline level until the 65th minute, when the breakthrough finally came.
“We had a few chances in the first half and I told the players at halftime to keep on believing. I’m very proud of the performance of my team,” said the 74-year-old Belgian coach, who has announced he will retire when the tournament concludes.
The man who broke the deadlock, 22-year-old Thapelo Maseko, went from fringe player to national hero overnight. His South African club, Mamelodi Sundowns, had loaned him out in January after he struggled to earn a spot on the roster.
“I feel like I’m dreaming. I missed some goals, I missed some chances. But in the end I was able to help the team. We prevailed, and that is all that matters,” Maseko said.
