World Cup 2026 (round of 32): Mixed results for South Africa against North America

24.06.26 FT World Cup

South Africa

1

:

South Korea

0

With their backs against the wall before matchday three, South Africa pulled off a major feat by defeating South Korea 1-0, clinching their first-ever qualification for the knockout stage of the World Cup.

Hugo Broos' men had lost their opening match 0-2 to Mexico before being held to a 1-1 draw by Czechia. They produced a top performance against Kang-In Lee and his teammates to secure their spot in the round of 32, finishing second in Group A behind Mexico.

World Cup 2026: The official and complete group stage schedule

In the round of 32, Bafana Bafana will go head-to-head with another host country, Canada, on Sunday, June 28, at 7pm GMT at Los Angeles Stadium. They have faced this opponent only once before, winning 2-0 in a friendly in 2007. South Africa have also played several matches against other North American sides, with a mixed record.

Several defeats against the United States and Mexico

Before losing to Mexico in the opening match of this 2026 World Cup by two goals to nil, South Africa had already suffered a 4-0 friendly defeat in 1993 and a 4-2 loss in 2000 to the same opponents. There was also the famous 1-1 draw in the opening game of the 2010 World Cup and a single group stage victory in the 2005 Gold Cup (2-1). The record is also negative against Team USA, with three losses in three friendlies: 4-0 in 2000, 0-1 in 2007 and 2010.

Better results against weaker opponents

Apart from the three World Cup 2026 host countries, South Africa have faced Jamaica six times, recording one win and five draws. The two sides shared the points in Group C of the 2005 Gold Cup after a thrilling 3-3 draw. South Africa's only win came in a friendly on April 28, 2010, with a 2-0 scoreline. There was also a recent pre-World Cup meeting that ended 1-1 in early June.

Bafana Bafana have beaten Costa Rica twice—2-1 in 2003 and 1-0 in 2015, both friendlies. They routed Guatemala in 2010 after a 1-1 draw in the 2005 Gold Cup. It was the same result against Honduras in a 2015 friendly. Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, the South Africans also took on Nicaragua in a friendly, which ended 0-0.

The bad memory of Panama 2005

One of South Africa's worst memories against North American opposition remains the defeat to Panama in the 2005 Gold Cup quarterfinals—the Bafana Bafana's only appearance in the tournament. That loss came on penalties, 1-1 (2-4 on pens), ending their run in the last eight. There have also been two recent friendlies against Panama: a 1-1 draw on March 27, 2026, and a 1-2 defeat on March 31, 2026.

Imed Ben Amara |

Editorar, fr

Imed Ben Amara - bilingual sports writer and web editor with experience in football content creation. Since 2021, he has contributed to Foot Africa, providing news coverage and analysis.

Related teams and leagues

South Africa

South Korea

World Cup