By Levy Masiteng
South Africa kept their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign alive after battling back to secure a 1-1 draw against Czechia in their second Group A match at Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, on Thursday night.
Bafana Bafana entered the match under pressure following their disappointing 2-0 defeat to Mexico in the tournament opener, but showed resilience to earn a valuable point and keep their hopes of reaching the knockout stages alive.
Czechia struck early when Michal Sadilek scored in the sixth minute, putting South Africa on the back foot from the outset.
Despite the setback, Hugo Broos’ men refused to give up and continued searching for an equaliser.
Their persistence paid off in the 83rd minute when midfielder Teboho Mokoena converted a penalty after Pavel Sulc was penalised for handball, rescuing a point for Bafana and sparking celebrations among South African supporters.
The result leaves South Africa with one point from two matches in Group A. While Bafana are not in control of their own destiny, the draw keeps their chances of progressing to the knockout stages mathematically alive.
However, there was a setback for South Africa as Mokoena picked up his second yellow card of the tournament in the 33rd minute, meaning he will be suspended for the team’s final group-stage clash.
Bafana will now turn their attention to a crucial encounter against Korea Republic, commonly known as South Korea, at Monterrey Stadium in Mexico on Wednesday, 24 June.
For South African viewers, the match will kick off at 03:00 SAST on Thursday, 25 June.
South Africa will likely need a strong result against South Korea and will also have to keep a close eye on goal difference and other results in the group as they chase a place in the next round.
INSIDE POLITICS
