On June 25, South Africa defeated South Korea 1-0 in their final group match at the Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, Mexico.
With this win, South Africa finished the group stage with a record of 1 win, 1 draw, and 1 loss (4 points), advancing to the Round of 32 as the second place in their group, surpassing South Korea, which ended with 1 win and 2 losses (3 points).
In a post-match press conference, Broos stated, "Tactically, we were a bit better than South Korea today. They played as we expected. We knew they would try to find space behind our defense by running a lot."
He added, "When South Korea had the ball, they managed to cover all spaces. On the other hand, when we had the ball, we were threatening. We had fast players and those who could connect passes between them. That was the reason for our victory today."
South Africa recorded 13 shots, with 4 on target, while South Korea managed only 8 shots, with 3 on target.
Broos noted, "After we scored, South Korea became desperate to equalize, but we held our positions well. They had very few threatening moments against us."
This victory marks a historic achievement for South Africa, as they advance to the knockout stage of the World Cup for the first time. Their opponent in the Round of 32 will be the host nation, Canada.
Broos expressed hope for his team, saying, "Our players want to prove themselves. They want to stay as long as possible. If we reach the Round of 16, it will be even more historic."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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