South Africa kept their FIFA World Cup hopes alive with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Czechia in a crucial Group A match in Atlanta.

Bafana Bafana appeared headed for a second straight defeat after Michal Sadílek gave Czechia an early lead, putting Hugo Broos’ side under heavy pressure. However, South Africa showed resilience, grew into the game, and earned a late reward when Teboho Mokoena calmly converted a penalty following a Czech handball in the box.

The result gives South Africa their first point of the tournament following the opening loss to Mexico and keeps qualification hopes firmly alive. With one group match remaining against South Korea, Bafana still have a realistic chance of reaching the knockout stages.

Victory in that final fixture would put them in contention for either a top two finish or one of the best third-place qualification spots. While the performance was not flawless, the fighting spirit shown against Czechia could prove decisive in South Africa’s World Cup journey.