World Cup 2026: South Africa grab 1-1 draw with Czechia with late penalty

Teboho Mokoena equalises done a precocious punishment to salvage a gully for South Africa successful their Group A clash with Czechia.

South Africa scored ⁠a ⁠penalty 7 minutes from full-time arsenic they fought ⁠back to gully 1-1 with the Czech ⁠Republic astatine the World Cup aft falling down aboriginal successful the Group ‌A clash.

Teboho Mokoena slotted location the spot footwear aft Pavel Sulc’s handball handed the South Africans a lifeline connected Thursday arsenic they were staring ⁠at imaginable aboriginal ⁠elimination.

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The Czechs led from the sixth infinitesimal erstwhile Michal Sadilek struck ⁠home aft a clever slipped ⁠pass from Alexandr ⁠Sojka pursuing Adam Hlozek’s transportation from the close wing.

Both teams present ‌have a constituent aft losing their respective opening games – 2 down cohosts Mexico and South Korea, who face-off aboriginal connected Thursday.

South Africa adjacent look South Korea, portion the Czech Republic instrumentality connected the daunting task of playing Mexico successful the Estadio Azteca.

Both sides started with disappointing performances and defeats connected the World Cup’s opening day, but the Czechs rapidly acceptable astir making amends.

Patrik Schick is the biggest sanction successful a Czech broadside lacking the prima prime of erstwhile generations but the Bayer Leverkusen guardant missed a glorious accidental wrong the archetypal infinitesimal erstwhile helium planted a header wide.

Miroslav Koubek’s men lone had to hold different 5 minutes to instrumentality the lead.

Adam Hlozek’s transverse was classily cushioned by Alexandr Sojka into the way of Sadilek, who calmly stroked the shot past Ronwen Williams.

Sadilek celebrates scoring for Czechia [Nathan Ray Seebeck/Reuters]

Now successful their 4th attempt, South Africa person ne'er progressed beyond the radical signifier astatine the World Cup.

Hugo Broos has overseen an upturn successful Bafana Bafana’s fortunes since taking complaint 5 years ago.

The 2010 hosts had not qualified for the World Cup since 2002 but finished 3rd astatine the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

Their instrumentality to the planetary signifier has exposed a deficiency of quality, though, peculiarly successful guardant areas.

The Czechs were near to rue not making much of their chances to termination the crippled disconnected aboriginal successful the 2nd half.

Vladimir Darida took excessively agelong to get his changeable disconnected with a large accidental earlier Lukas Cerv’s long-range effort was tipped implicit by Williams.

There were thousands of bare seats connected amusement astatine the futuristic location of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, but those that were successful attendance loudly booed the mid-half hydration breaks successful an enclosed and air-conditioned stadium.

The bulk of the assemblage were backing South Africa and yet had thing to cheer 7 minutes from time.

Thapelo Maseko’s changeable deed the limb of the unfortunate Pavel Sulc and referee Tori Penso, portion of an all-female officiating team, pointed to the spot.

Mokoena confidently drilled location the spot-kick for his nation’s archetypal World Cup extremity successful 16 years.

They came adjacent to a 2nd 5 minutes aboriginal erstwhile Matej Kovar saved from Relebohile Mofokeng.

But some sides had to settee for a constituent that could yet beryllium captious travel the extremity of Wednesday’s last Group A games.

South Africa’s manager Hugo Broos says it is imaginable for his broadside to bushed South Korea and suffice for the knockout stages if they repetition their mentality from the battling gully with Czechia.

“I’m precise arrogant of my team. This is Bafana Bafana – we emotion bully football, we are aggressive, we make chances. Yes, we made mistakes, but I’m precise arrogant of the show today,” helium said.

“The Czechia squad is almighty and precise tall. We did precise well. It’s a small spot of a pity that it’s lone 1-1 but we conscionable person to triumph the crippled against South Korea, which volition beryllium precise hard too.

“If we play with the aforesaid mentality, it volition beryllium possible.”

Czechia manager Miroslav Koubek said his players could not person fixed more.

“I complaint that show positively today,” helium told section media.

“I can’t reproach the lads for anything; connected the contrary, I tin praise them. They gave it perfectly everything, and sometimes that mightiness beryllium much than a victory.”