Pirates’ Moremi and Mofokeng dazzle, Appollis misfires: South Africa 1-0 South Korea player ratings

South Africa’s Bafana Bafana deliver their finest performance of the 2026 World Cup, beating South Korea 1-0 in Guadalupe to reach the knockout rounds for the first time in the nation’s history.

A historic night for Bafana Bafana.

Hugo Broos’ side defied every pre-tournament forecast on Wednesday evening, beating South Korea 1-0 at the Estadio Akron in Guadalupe to finish second in Group A.

It is the first time South Africa have ever advanced beyond the group stage of a World Cup.

The victory lifted the Bafana Bafana to four points, enough to claim the runners-up spot behind the group winners.

The Taeguk Warriors, meanwhile, are stranded on three points and must now wait to discover whether they can squeeze through as one of the eight best third-placed sides.

South Africa 1-0 South Korea player ratings

South Africa

Goalkeeper

Ronwen Williams – 6/10

A composed display from the captain, though he was not called into action too often.

Dealt comfortably with aerial deliveries and varied his distribution between short passes and raking long balls.

Defenders

Khuliso Mudau – 7/10

Assured throughout on the right.

Offered a reliable outlet in possession and threaded several clever passes inside to bypass the Korean press.

Ime Okon – 6/10

Solid and largely untroubled in the heart of defence.

Did his job without fuss alongside Mbokazi.

Mbekezeli Mbokazi – 7/10

Arguably the pick of the back four.

Excellent on the ball, confident stepping out of the defensive line and pinged some superb long passes.

A cornerstone of the rearguard.

Aubrey Modiba – 6/10

A tidy showing at left-back.

Read the game well, picked his moments to overlap and dovetailed neatly with Appollis down the flank.

Midfielders

Thalente Mbatha – 6/10

A disciplined screening display.

Won his duels, snuffed out transitions and helped recycle possession tidily alongside Sithole.

Sphephelo Sithole – 6/10

Fulfilled his holding responsibilities without complaint.

Steady and unspectacular in the best possible sense.

Thapelo Maseko – 7/10

A livewire on the right who gave the Korean defence nightmares with his direct running.

Rewarded for a tireless display with a superb second-half goal to settle the contest.

Relebohile Mofokeng – 7/10

Handed his first start of the tournament and seized the opportunity.

The most creative presence on the pitch, always looking for the incisive ball or a shot from distance, yet diligent in tracking back too.

Oswin Appollis – 5/10

A quieter evening than usual from the winger.

Struggled to find the space that has made him so dangerous in previous outings.

Forwards

Evidence Makgopa – 5/10

Starved of service for long periods, though he did not shirk the fight.

Won his share of aerial contests and held the ball up when called upon.

Substitutes

Tshepang Moremi – 8/10 (Man of the Match)

A sensational cameo.

Came off the bench and immediately torched the Korean left flank with his pace, beating his marker with ease before delivering the exquisite assist for Maseko’s winner.

The match-defining intervention.

Iqraam Rayners – 6/10

Added fresh legs and helped shore things up after the goal.

A useful late contribution.

Jayden Adams – N/R

Insufficient time on the pitch to warrant a rating.

South Korea

Goalkeeper

Kim Seung-gyu – 6/10

Made two important saves in the first half to keep his side level.

Bore no blame for the goal.

Defenders

Lee Han-beom – 4/10

Exposed badly on the goal.

Moremi breezed past him with alarming ease and his defensive frailty was a recurring theme throughout.

Kim Min-jae – 6/10

One of the few Korean defenders who emerged with any credit.

Distributed the ball crisply and remained composed under pressure.

Lee Gi-hyuk – 5/10

A below-par outing.

Lacked the authority required at this level and was outmuscled on more than one occasion.

Midfielders

Seol Young-woo – 5/10

Struggled to impose himself on the midfield battle.

Peripheral for large stretches.

Hwang In-beom – 4/10

One of the biggest disappointments of the evening.

Tasked with connecting the midfield to the attack, he was anonymous for long spells and failed to set the tempo.

Paik Seung-ho – 4/10

Offered very little going forward and was bypassed too easily when Korea attempted to build through the middle.

Lee Tae-seok – 5/10

An unremarkable outing.

Could not find pockets of space or create the angles that Korea so desperately needed.

Lee Kang-in – 5/10

Far below what is expected of a player of his calibre.

Wasteful in possession and offered almost nothing in the final third.

A forgettable night for the PSG man.

Forwards

Oh Hyeon-gyu – 5/10

Isolated and largely ineffective up front.

Received scant support from a misfiring midfield behind him.

Hwang Hee-chan – 5/10

Looked disconnected and sluggish from the start.

Hauled off at half-time after a desperately poor 45 minutes.

Substitutes

Son Heung-min – 6/10

Introduced at the break to rescue a woeful first-half display.

Showed willing and tried to knit things together, but could not conjure an equaliser from an uninspired supporting cast.

Jens Castrop – 6/10

Tidy enough after coming on.

Added some composure in midfield without making a decisive impact.

Kim Jin-kyu – 5/10

Unable to shore up the defence in the way Hong Myung-bo would have hoped.

Park Jin-seob – 5/10

Made little impression after entering the fray.

Could not alter the momentum.

Cho Gue-sung – N/R

Insufficient time on the pitch to warrant a rating.