Bafana hold Czechia to keep World Cup hopes alive

South Africa's Bafana Bafana drew 1-1 with Czechia in Atlanta to keep their World Cup hopes alive, a result that is enough to stay in contention but leaves them needing to beat South Korea next.

For Southern African fans, Bafana are the nearest thing to a home team at this tournament, and their fate carries across the region. The draw, reported by Daily Maverick, was a recovery of sorts after an opening defeat — but it came at a cost that could shape the decisive match. This story is part of Kwacha News's sport coverage.

How the match unfolded

Czechia struck first through Michal Sadílek in the sixth minute, an early blow that forced South Africa to chase the game. Bafana levelled through a Teboho Mokoena penalty, won by the winger Thapelo Maseko, and pushed for a winner against the Czechia goalkeeper Matěj Kovář before settling for a point at Atlanta Stadium on 18 June. The 1-1 scoreline was a marked improvement on the 2-0 defeat to Mexico in the team's opener, a match Kwacha News covered as the tournament got under way.

Coach Hugo Broos had changed shape for the Czechia game, switching from the cautious 5-3-2 of the opener to a more attacking 4-3-3. The reward was a more competitive performance, and Broos said his side had matched a strong European team for long stretches.

I think that we played a very good game today except for one moment, and if we go on like that I think we have a chance to go to the second round.

— South Africa coach Hugo Broos, <a href="https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-06-18-bafana-bafana-keep-their-world-cup-knockout-hopes-alive-with-czechia-draw/">via Daily Maverick</a>

The catch: a suspension

The point came with a price. Mokoena, who scored the equaliser, was booked for a second time in the tournament and will be suspended for South Africa's final group match against South Korea on 25 June in Monterrey. Losing a midfielder of his quality, and a goalscorer, for a game Bafana almost certainly must win is the kind of setback that can decide a campaign.

Captain Ronwen Williams, the goalkeeper, struck a steadying note afterwards, urging his team-mates to shut out the external pressure and focus on the staff's plan for the decider.

Block out the noise, listen to the technical team and trust one another.

— South Africa captain Ronwen Williams, <a href="https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-06-18-bafana-bafana-keep-their-world-cup-knockout-hopes-alive-with-czechia-draw/">via Daily Maverick</a>

Where Group A stands

The draw leaves South Africa on one point, level with Czechia and trailing South Korea, who have three. At the top, Mexico have already sealed first place and become the first team to reach the knockout rounds of the 2026 World Cup, beating South Korea 1-0 through a Luis Romo goal in Guadalajara, as Al Jazeera reported. That result is what reshaped the group and left Bafana with a clear, hard task.

The arithmetic is simple enough. South Africa will almost certainly need to beat South Korea in the final round to go through, and they must do it without their suspended goalscorer. A draw may not be enough depending on other results, which turns the Monterrey match into a near-knockout for Broos's side.

The 2026 World Cup is the first to feature 48 teams, expanded from 32, and the format changes the qualifying calculus. The competition is split into 12 groups of four, with the top two from each group and the eight best third-placed teams advancing to a new round of 32. In theory that leaves Bafana a sliver of a route even from third place, but, as Daily Maverick noted, the realistic path almost certainly runs through a win over South Korea rather than a hope of sneaking in as a best loser.

Why it matters beyond South Africa

African football has carried real momentum at this World Cup, and Kwacha News has followed the story from Cape Verde's stirring debut draw with Spain to the wider tournament texture captured in Lionel Messi's record-extending hat-trick. For fans in Lusaka and across the region, a Bafana run deep into the tournament would be a Southern African story as much as a South African one.

That regional pull is real. Few Southern African sides reach the World Cup in any given cycle, so when one does, the support tends to spill across borders — into the bars and living rooms of Lusaka, Lilongwe, Gaborone and Harare as much as Johannesburg. A side coached by Hugo Broos, a Belgian with a track record on the continent, has given those neighbours a team to follow, and the Monterrey decider against South Korea will draw an audience far wider than South Africa alone.

What to watch

The match that matters is South Africa against South Korea on 25 June in Monterrey. Bafana need the win, need a replacement for the suspended Mokoena, and need other Group A results to fall kindly. Broos believes the performance against Czechia shows his side belongs; the next 90 minutes will decide whether that belief survives the group stage.

Frequently Asked Questions

These are the questions readers have been asking after South Africa's draw with Czechia. Short answers follow, drawn from reporting in Daily Maverick and Al Jazeera.

What is the result for South Africa?

In short, South Africa drew 1-1 with Czechia in Atlanta on 18 June. The answer, simply put, is that the point keeps Bafana alive in Group A on one point. The key detail is that goalscorer Teboho Mokoena was booked and is suspended for the final group match.

How does Bafana reach the knockouts now?

Data from the group shows South Africa will almost certainly need to beat South Korea in their final match on 25 June. Sitting on one point and behind on the table, Bafana cannot rely on a draw, and they must advance without their suspended midfielder.

Why is Mokoena suspended for the next match?

The answer is a second booking. Teboho Mokoena, who scored the penalty against Czechia, picked up his second yellow card of the tournament, and under the rules that brings an automatic one-match suspension for the decider against South Korea.

What are South Africa’s chances of advancing?

Analysis of Group A shows the path is open but narrow. Evidence from the table is that a win over South Korea likely sends Bafana through, while a draw or defeat probably does not, and the loss of Mokoena makes the task harder still.

Which team has already qualified from Group A?

Mexico have already won Group A and become the first team to reach the knockout rounds of the 2026 World Cup, beating South Korea 1-0 in Guadalajara. South Africa and Czechia remain in the fight for the second qualifying place.

Sources

Daily Maverick: Bafana Bafana keep their World Cup knockout hopes alive with Czechia draw. Al Jazeera: Mexico beat South Korea to become first team into the knockouts.

Kwacha News coverage: the World Cup opener, Cape Verde's debut draw with Spain, and Messi's record hat-trick.