Guadalupe, Mexico. South Africa reached the World Cup knockout stage for the first time in its history with a 1-0 victory over South Korea on Wednesday.

Thapelo Maseko scored the decisive goal in the 63rd minute, finishing a precise cross from Tshepang Moremi as South Africa secured second place in Group A behind Mexico, which won all three of its group-stage matches.

South Africa will face Canada, the runner-up in Group B, in a round-of-32 match on Sunday in Inglewood, California.

Bafana Bafana had previously failed to advance from the group stage in its three previous World Cup appearances in 1998, 2002 and as tournament host in 2010. The victory marked a historic breakthrough for the South African side.

South Africa opened this year's tournament with a 2-0 defeat to Mexico before salvaging a 1-1 draw against the Czech Republic with a late goal. Entering the final group match, the team trailed both Mexico and South Korea in the standings but produced a surprise result to secure qualification.

Maseko's goal midway through the second half proved enough to defeat the Taegeuk Warriors, who had entered the match as favorites after opening the tournament with a 2-1 comeback victory over the Czech Republic.

South Korea lost 1-0 to Mexico in its second match and finished the group stage with three points. The team could still advance as one of the tournament's best third-place finishers, depending on results elsewhere.

South Korea became the first Asian nation to reach a World Cup semifinal when it finished fourth on home soil in 2002. The Taegeuk Warriors also advanced from the group stage in 2010 and 2022, reaching the round of 16 on both occasions.

For South Africa, however, Wednesday's victory represented a landmark achievement as Bafana Bafana advanced to the knockout stage for the first time and kept alive hopes of an extended World Cup run.

Add as a preferred source on Google +