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South Africa kept alive their hopes of reaching the FIFA World Cup 2026 knockout stage for the first time as Teboho Mokoena's late penalty secured a 1-1 draw against the Czech Republic in Atlanta, United States.
The Czech Republic had taken an early lead with Michal Sadilek's goal and looked on course for only their second World Cup win as an independent nation. Michal Sadilek scored the fastest goal at this World Cup after five minutes and eight seconds. Felix Nmecha took eight seconds longer to net for Germany against Curacao. However, Mokoena's late spot-kick ensured the points were shared, keeping both teams in contention for a place in the last 32. With the result, both sides now have one point each, sitting two points behind co-hosts Mexico and South Korea, who are set to face each other later in the day. Both South Africa and the Czech Republic will likely need victories in their final Group A matches to progress. South Africa will next take on South Korea, while the Czech Republic face a tough challenge against Mexico at the Estadio Azteca. Both teams had opened their campaigns with defeats and were eager to respond. The Czech Republic started brightly, with Patrik Schick missing a golden opportunity inside the opening minute, heading wide despite his reputation as the team's main attacking threat. After the match, South Africa head coach Hugo Broos expressed pride in his team's performance after Bafana Bafana were held to a 1-1 draw. Broos praised his side's attacking intent and aggressive approach, while acknowledging minor errors that cost them a win. "I'm very proud of my team. This is Bafana Bafana - we love good football, we are aggressive, we create chances. Yes, we made mistakes, but I'm very proud of the performance today," Broos said. He also noted the physical challenge posed by the Czech side, adding that his players stood up well against a tall and powerful opponent. "Czechia are powerful and very tall. We did very well. It's a little bit of a pity that it's only 1-1, but we just have to win the game against Korea Republic, which will be very difficult too. If we play with the same mentality, it will be possible," he added. (ANI)
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