Seven nations have booked their place in the FIFA World Cup round of 32. Can Bafana Bafana still join them on Thursday after meeting South Korea? Have you heard of some bloke called Lionel Messi?
Seven sides are serenely through to the World Cup round of 32
Colombia struck late to break DR Congo’s hearts in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The South Americans won 1-0 thanks to a goal from Crystal Palace right-back Daniel Munoz. They’re the seventh side to qualify for the round of 32. The others are co-hosts Mexico and the USA, 2014 champions Germany, two-time champions France, an impressive Norway side, and defending champions Argentina. DR Congo still has a good shot at qualifying if they beat Uzbekistan in their final group game. Ghana also look good for a spot in the knockouts. The Black Stars have four points from two matches after their 0-0 draw with England.
Magical Messi mesmerises the planet
Lionel Messi’s ridiculous brilliance never gets old. The great man has five goals in the tournament so far, including a stunning hat-trick against Algeria, his first at a World Cup. Few would bet against the 39-year-old (his birthday is today, the 24th of June!) guiding his nation to the sport’s most coveted prize once again. Messi is now the most prolific goal-scorer in World Cup history with 18 strikes, at his sixth showpiece. The little maestro from Rosario is the first man to appear at six World Cups, although long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo joined him in that elite club when Portugal opened their campaign against DR Congo a week ago. The iconic attacker is the only player to score in six separate World Cups, after his brace against Uzbekistan.
Five sides are out of the World Cup
Meanwhile, South Africa’s matchday 2 draw against the Czech Republic leaves them with a fighting chance of progressing to the knockout phase. Things started disastrously for Bafana, with a 2-0 defeat against Mexico, which saw Hugo Broos’ men finish the match with nine players. A rather large spanner in the works for Broos is how to line up his midfield unit without his maestro, Teboho Mokoena. The Sundowns man is unavailable for the clash against the Republic of Korea after an accumulation of bookings. Bafana vs Korea kicks off at 03:00 in the wee hours of Thursday morning. Set your alarms, or drink a lot of coffee. Five nations are officially heading home. They are the gallant Haiti, North Africans Tunisia, Jordan, Panama and a talented yet under-achieving Turkiye side.