T. Maseko settles it as South Africa beat South Korea 1-0 to close group play

In the third round of the 2026 World Cup group stage, South Africa and South Korea were tied 0-0 at halftime. The decisive moment came in the 63rd minute, when T. Maseko finished off a T. Moremi assist to put South Africa ahead 1-0. The score did not change after that, and South Africa closed out the match with a 1-0 win.

On the statistical side, South Africa had 32% possession compared with South Korea’s 68%. Expected goals were 1.10 for South Africa and 1.00 for South Korea. South Africa had 13 shots and 4 on target, while South Korea recorded 8 shots and 3 on target. Passing accuracy was 82% for South Africa and 89% for South Korea. South Africa earned 4 corners to South Korea’s 6, was caught offside 3 times to South Korea’s 0, made 2 saves to South Korea’s 3, and committed 7 fouls to South Korea’s 9.

In the disciplinary record, A. Modiba received a yellow card in the 73rd minute, and Cho Gue-Sung was booked in the 79th minute.

In the second round of group play, South Africa had drawn 1-1 with Czech Republic, while South Korea had lost 0-1 to Mexico.

The current snapshot of Group A shows South Africa with 4 points from 3 matches, having 1 win, 1 draw, and 1 loss, with a goal difference of -1 and 2nd place, with the official current label listed as the Round of 32. South Korea has 3 points from 3 matches, with 1 win, 0 draws, and 2 losses, a goal difference of -1, and 3rd place.