TEBOHO Mokoena netted an 83rd-minute penalty to earn South Africa a 1-1 draw against the Czech Republic in Atlanta tonight at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
South Africa trailed after five minutes and seven seconds when Michal Sadilek latched on to a clever lay-off and rifled home the earliest goal of the tournament so far.
Bafana Bafana, who also conceded early against Mexico in their tournament opener, eventually settled into the game and slowed down play, but they struggled to create chances and only managed their first shot on target in the 74th minute.
But their fortunes finally changed as Thapelo Maseko’s shot thundered into Pavel Sulc’s arm in the Czech box with less than 10 minutes of regulation time remaining.
Mokoena made no mistake with the finish, slotting into the left corner.
A point does little to help either side and their chances of qualifying for the knockout stages remain in the balance, with Mexico and South Korea above them in the Group A table.
However, with the eight best third-placed teams progressing to the last 32 and three points likely to be enough to secure a place in the knockout stages, South Africa and the Czech Republic still have it all to play for in their final group fixtures.
South Africa face South Korea next Thursday, while Czechia will battle co-hosts Mexico in the Azteca at the same time.
With agency report
