South African football news

Mexico score three second-half goals to eliminate the Czech Republic from the World Cup and end the group phase with maximum points.

• CZE
• MEX

The irony of the superstar-heavy narrative is the way it embellishes rather than diminishes importance of the collective “Cristiano Ronaldo’s record-equalling sixth World Cup got off to a disappointing start,” began the Reuters match report of Portugal’s 1-1 draw against the Democratic Republic of the Congo last wee…

• POR

Some, like Luca Zidane, have been bamboozled and an academic paper bears out Joe Hart’s opinion about its movement Poor old Luca Zidane. The Algeria goalkeeper has had a turbulent time. In two matches he has conceded five goals, and a pair of them – first from Lionel Messi, then, more embarrassing, from Jordan’s Niz…

• ALG
• JOR

Thapelo Maseko's second-half goal gives South Africa a 1-0 win over South Korea in Monterrey, and sends them into the World Cup knockout phase.

• SOU
• KOR

There are ways of leaving a tournament. You can go out with a sheen of glory, having gone to-to-toe with a great opponent. You can be unlucky and go home raging at referees and the fates. You can self-immolate in a blaze of red cards or own goals or spectacular errors. Or you can slink away without leaving a trace –…

• CZE
• MEX

South ​Africa celebrated a first World Cup knockout berth with jubilant scenes on Wednesday after Thapelo Maseko’s second-half strike secured a 1-0 victory over South ⁠Korea, who still have a chance of advancing as one of the eight best third-placed teams . Maseko fired into the bottom corner in the 63rd minute to p…

• SOU
• KOR

Miami is still a city where the stars come out to play – and on Wednesday one shone brighter than anyone else “Water so clear you can see to the bottom, hundred thousand dollar cars e’ybody got ’em. Ain’t no surprise in the club to see Sly Stallone, Miami my second home.” So said Will Smith, and the actor-rapper’s o…

• SCO
• BRA

⚽ Kick-off at 9pm ET/2am BST/11am AEST ⚽ Player guide | Bracketology | Group standings | Mail Beau South Korea is in red. South Africa is in yellow. The referees are in black, and Tello blows the whistle. I was worried for a bit that we’d start without a word from Peter Oh: “I’m looking forward to this clash of the…

• SOU
• KOR

⚽ Match kicks off at 9pm ET/2am BST/11am AEST ⚽ Player guide | Bracketology | Group standings | Mail Alex Here come the anthems! Expect Mexico’s to be rousing as usual. It’s among my favorites in international football. A reminder of the stakes in El Tri’s final game before the knockout round… Continue reading...

• CZE
• MEX

Scotland will have to wait until potentially the early hours of Sunday to find out if their World Cup campaign will continue, but midfielder John McGinn suspects that is "unlikely" and head coach Steve Clarke suspects they are "going home".

• SCO

Scotland's hopes of reaching the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time are in significant peril with calamitous defending allowed Brazil to win 3-0 in Miami and finish top of Group C.

• SCO
• BRA

Soufiane Rahimi and Gessime Yassine score late goals for Morocco to deny Haiti their first-ever World Cup point in Atlanta.

• MOR
• HAI

Morocco confirmed their progress to the World Cup last 32 ⁠but twice had to ⁠come from behind to ​get the better of plucky Haiti 4-2 in an action-packed game on Wednesday, and fell short of topping Brazil in the Group C standings . Morocco finished level on seven points with ⁠the five-time world champions, who beat…

• MOR
• BRA
• HAI

Scotland will now play the waiting game. The trouble is, as they hang around to discover whether a place in the last 32 can be secured as among the leading eight third-placed teams, it is legitimate to question the point of it all. Scotland’s on-field contribution to this tournament has been pitiful. Defeat by Brazi…

• SCO
• BRA

With the group stage hurtling towards its end we look at who needs what to make the knockout phase Teams level on points are separated, in order, by head-to-head points; head-to-head goal difference; head-to-head goals scored; overall goal difference; overall goals scored; team conduct score; Fifa ranking. Continue…

Wilson Isidor gives Haiti a lead against Morocco with an "extraordinary" World Cup goal at the Atlanta Stadium.

• MOR
• HAI

Rate the Scotland and Brazil players out of 10 below and come back 30 minutes after full-time to see the final ratings.

• SCO
• BRA

Brazil forward Vinicius Junior pounces on a mistake by the Scotland defence to give his side an early lead in their World Cup Group C match in Miami.

• SCO
• BRA

Switzerland seal their place in the first knockout round of the World Cup by beating co-hosts Canada to top Group B.

• SWI
• CAN

Bosnia-Herzegovina boost their hopes of reaching the knockout stages in the World Cup for a first ever time defeating Qatar in their final Group B fixture.

• BOS
• QAT

Chelsea step up their efforts to sign Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix, who is emerging as a major target this summer.

• CRY
• CHE