Bafana Bafana World Cup Permutations: How South Africa Can Still Qualify Automatically From Group A

• Bafana Bafana’s World Cup journey will go down to the wire after a dramatic Group A battle left their fate hanging in the balance
• South Africa’s final match carries huge consequences, with one result potentially deciding whether they continue their tournament dream
• Hugo Broos faces a difficult selection headache as key players prepare to miss the decisive showdown

Bafana Bafana kept their World Cup hopes alive after drawing 1-1 against Czechia on Thursday. Mexico’s 1-0 victory over South Korea means the final Group A matches will produce a tantalising finish as the teams battle for places in the knockout stages.

Mexico have already secured a spot in the round of 32 after moving to six points, leaving the second position up for grabs, with three teams still having a chance to claim it.

South Korea have collected three points, while Czechia and Bafana Bafana are both on one point. Bafana Bafana face a must-win match against South Korea on Thursday, 25 June, in Monterrey. The top two teams in the group will qualify automatically, while the eight best third-placed teams will also advance.

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A victory for Hugo Broos’ charges would take South Africa to four points and move them above South Korea in the standings. For Bafana Bafana to secure qualification, Mexico will need to beat Czechia, who are also currently on one point.

Bafana Bafana qualification scenarios ahead of the South Korea clash

Scenario 1: Bafana secure victory, Czechia fail to win

This would be the simplest route for South Africa. If Bafana Bafana beat South Korea and Czechia drop points against Mexico, Broos’ side will move into second place in Group A on four points and secure their place in the next round.

Scenario 2: Bafana win, Czechia also claim victory

If both teams collect wins, South Africa and Czechia will finish the group stage level on four points. The second-place position will then be decided by FIFA’s tie-breaking rules, starting with goal difference before goals scored.

Currently, both teams have the same goal difference of minus two. This means Bafana will need to beat South Korea by a bigger margin than Czechia’s victory over Mexico to gain the advantage. A draw would leave Bafana on two points, which is mathematically insufficient to catch South Korea. A defeat would leave them rooted to the bottom of the table.

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Bafana Bafana face selection challenges for the decisive match

Bafana Bafana will face a major challenge against South Korea. They will be without veteran midfielder Themba Zwane after his red card was upgraded to a three-match ban. Penalty hero Teboho Mokoena, who rescued a point against Czechia, will also miss the match after receiving two yellow cards during the tournament.

Broos will have to rely on the available players to step up and deliver when it matters most, as Bafana Bafana’s final Group A match has become a do-or-die battle for World Cup survival.

How Bafana Bafana’s poor discipline could cost them

Briefly News previously reported that South Africa's disciplinary record at the 2026 FIFA World Cup could come back to haunt them if they finish third in Group A and end up tied with another team in the battle for a place in the knockout rounds.

Source: Briefly News