Mexico and South Africa Advance to Knockout Stage in FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers

Kathmandu. Mexico and South Africa have secured a place in the knockout stage by winning their final group 'A' matches in the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers.

In a match held at the Mexico City Stadium, Mexico defeated the Czech Republic 3-0. Mexico's Mateo Chavez and Julian Quinones scored in the second half of the game, which ended goalless in the first half. Chavez opened the scoring in the 55th minute from a pass by Luis Romo, while Quinones doubled the lead in the 61st minute, utilizing a pass from Jorge Sanchez. Alvaro Fidalgo added another goal in injury time just before the end of regulation time, bringing Mexico's victory to 3-0.

Meanwhile, in another match at the Estadio Monterrey, South Africa defeated South Korea 1-0. In a highly competitive game, South Africa's Thapelo Maseko scored the decisive goal in the 63rd minute. His goal from a pass by Teboho Moremi was enough to decide the outcome of the match.

With this result, Mexico remained at the top of the group with 9 points, while South Africa secured their place in the last 32 by adding three crucial points. South Korea and the Czech Republic have been eliminated from the group stage.