South Africa kept their FIFA World Cup qualification hopes alive after securing a hard fought 1-1 draw against the Czech Republic thanks to a late penalty from Teboho Mokoena.
The Czech side made a dream start, finding the net after just five minutes and seven seconds. Michal Sadilek finished off a clever attacking move with a powerful strike, registering the quickest goal of the tournament so far. The early breakthrough put South Africa under immediate pressure, particularly after they had also fallen behind early in their opening match against Mexico.
Bafana Bafana gradually regained their composure and focused on controlling possession, but clear scoring opportunities remained difficult to find. The African side struggled to test the Czech defence for much of the contest and did not record an effort on target until the 74th minute.
As the match entered its closing stages, South Africa finally found a route back into the game. Thapelo Maseko’s attempt struck the arm of Pavel Sulc inside the penalty area, prompting the referee to award a spot kick with less than ten minutes remaining.
Mokoena stepped up confidently and sent the goalkeeper the wrong way, placing his effort into the left corner to level the score in the 83rd minute.
The result leaves Group A finely poised. Neither team has secured a place in the knockout rounds, with Mexico and South Korea currently occupying the top two positions. However, both nations remain firmly in the race, knowing that a positive result in their final group fixture could still be enough to extend their World Cup journey into the last 32.
