By OkayGoal 
South Africa produced one of the biggest surprises of the group stage after defeating South Korea 1-0 to book a place in the knockout rounds. Thapelo Maseko’s second-half strike proved enough for Bafana Bafana, who started Matchday 3 with just one point but climbed to second place with four points.
Meanwhile, South Korea dropped to third after the defeat. Hong Myung-bo’s side must now wait to see whether three points will be enough to secure one of the tournament’s best third-placed qualification spots.
Mexico Top Group and Eliminate Czech Republic
Mexico secured first place in Group A with a perfect nine points after defeating the Czech Republic 3-0. Mateo Chávez opened the scoring before Julián Quiñones doubled the advantage six minutes later. Álvaro Fidalgo wrapped up the victory in stoppage time, confirming El Tri as Group A winners.
Qualification Scenario
- ✅ Mexico – Qualified as Group A winners (9 pts).
- ✅ South Africa – Qualified as Group A runners-up (4 pts).
- ⏳ South Korea – Finished third (4 pts) and await confirmation as one of the best third-placed teams.
- ❌ Czech Republic – Eliminated after finishing fourth.
Group A Results
| Matchday | Fixture | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mexico vs South Africa | 2-0 |
| 1 | South Korea vs Czech Republic | 2-1 |
| 2 | Mexico vs South Korea | 1-0 |
| 2 | Czech Republic vs South Africa | 1-1 |
| 3 | South Africa vs South Korea | 1-0 |
| 3 | Mexico vs Czech Republic | 3-0 |
Final Group A Standings
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇲🇽 Mexico (Q) | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | +6 | 9 |
| 2 | 🇿🇦 South Africa (Q) | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 4 |
| 3 | 🇰🇷 South Korea | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 3 |
| 4 | 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 | -6 | 1 |