South Africa battled back to a 1-1 draw with the Czech Republic on Wednesday, thanks to an 83rd-minute penalty that kept their World Cup 2026 qualification hopes alive. The match was played at the Atlanta stadium in Georgia, USA, on June 18.
The Czech Republic struck early, taking the lead in the 6th minute with a well-worked goal. Adam Hlozek crossed from the right, Alexandr Sojka controlled cleverly, and Michal Sadilek raced through to slot a low shot past goalkeeper Ronwen Williams.
The turning point came in the 83rd minute when Thapelo Maseko's shot struck defender Pavel Sulc's arm inside the box. American referee Tori Penso — part of an all-female officiating team — pointed to the spot. Teboho Mokoena converted confidently, scoring South Africa's first World Cup goal in 16 years.
Five minutes later, Czech goalkeeper Matej Kovar denied Relebohile Mofokeng with a fine save to keep his side level.
Both teams had lost their opening matches, so the draw gave them a point each, leaving them behind hosts Mexico and South Korea (both on three points), who faced each other later that evening.
South Africa — who have never advanced past the World Cup group stage — will meet South Korea in their next fixture, while the Czech Republic face a daunting trip to Mexico's Azteca stadium.
In the first half, Patrik Schick (Bayer Leverkusen) missed a golden chance, heading just wide from close range. After the break, Vladimir Darida hesitated in front of goal and Lukas Cerv's long-range effort was tipped over the bar by Williams.
Though the air-conditioned NFL stadium had many empty seats, the crowd cheered loudly for South Africa and jeered whenever players stopped for a mid-half water break.
