South Africa's national football team achieved a historic milestone by advancing to the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup for the first time. A 1-0 victory over South Korea at the Monterrey Stadium in Guadalupe, Mexico, sealed their place in the round of 16.

Thapelo Maseko scored the decisive goal in the 63rd minute, securing the win that lifted Bafana Bafana to second place in their group with one win, one draw, and one loss. The result sent South Korea to the brink of elimination.

Back home in Johannesburg, die-hard fans stayed up through the night to watch the 3 a.m. kickoff. Streets erupted with celebrations as the sun rose, with supporters dancing in pajamas and winter coats. "It's like the whole country stayed awake and probably won't even go to work tomorrow!" joked fan Lorenz Kohler.

The achievement surpasses the 2010 tournament hosted by South Africa, where they became the first host nation to fail to advance past the group stage. "This moment surpasses anything of 2010; it will never be forgotten," Kohler told Al Jazeera.

Coach Hugo Broos, 74, who will retire after the 2026 World Cup, called the victory emotional. "We came here to Mexico and we wanted to survive the group stage... It was a moment of emotions," he said. Broos took over the team in 2021 and has been credited with restoring belief.

The South African government congratulated the team, stating the win "reflects the team's determination, discipline and fighting spirit." Diplomats and politicians flooded social media with praise.

Fans are now looking ahead to the round of 16 match against Canada. "Anything after this is just a bonus," Kohler said. "There's a belief they can get beyond Canada." Broos added, "On Sunday you will see a team that believes in itself and will fight for 90 minutes."

Source: www.aljazeera.com