By Kenneth Madaki
The Bafana Bafana of South Africa made history on Thursday by qualifying for their first-ever knockout round at a World Cup.
South Africa beat South Korea by a lone goal in their final Group A game at the Estadio BBVA stadium in Guadalupe, with a 63rd-minute strike by Thapelo Maseko.
The victory earned the African team the maximum three points in the group, finishing second with four points, while South Korea finished third.
In the other final group game played simultaneously, co-hosts Mexico, who had already advanced to the knockout stage, defeated Czechia 3-0.
Goals by Mateo Chávez in the 55th minute, Julián Quiñones in the 61st minute and Álvaro Fidalgo in the 94th minute ensured Mexico won all their group games.
Mexico finished as group winners with nine points, while Czechia finished bottom of the group.
Substitute goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, 40, has now joined Argentina’s 39-year-old Lionel Messi and Portugal’s 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo to appear at a record sixth World Cup.
Meanwhile, Gilberto Mora, at 17 years and 253 days old, became the youngest player to start a World Cup game in 24 years, since Nigeria’s Femi Opabumi against England in 2002, at 17 years and 101 days. Mora also becomes his country’s youngest ever starter in a World Cup since 1954.