South Africa has displayed their determination this tournament with a draw against Czechia in the previous fixture. They'll face South Korea next, who are expected to qualify for the round of 32 tonight.

Myung-Bo Hong's side is fresh off a defeat against Mexico late last week and will be hoping to bounce back in an imperative match against South Africa.

Bafana have once again proved they don't know when they are beaten, after a disappointing first game against Mexico, where they looked uncompetitive, Hugo Broos' side bounced back in a comeback draw in their second round tie against Czechia.

Both sides' qualification to the round of 32 rests on a result tonight, though South Korea sits in an advantageous position; South Africa is more than capable of putting pressure on Hong's team tonight.

After three failed attempts to qualify for the World Cup finals, South Africa returns in 2026 with a vengeance, after bowing out of their home tournament in 2010 despite beating France and drawing with Mexico, but exiting on goal difference.

Their underdog run concludes with an imperative fixture against South Korea. Despite being favourites to lose this tie, Bafana have continued to defy odds, and must not be written off tonight.

Teboho Mokoena, the man who rescued a point in South Africa's last game, will miss tonight's fixture after receiving his second yellow card of the group stage against Czechia.

Familiar face, Yaya Sithole, is expected to make a return to the starting eleven tonight as a like-for-like replacement for Mokoena. Sithole received a red card in the opening group stage game and missed the Czechia tie subsequently.

Themba Zwane joined Sithole in his early exit with another red card against Mexico in the opening tie, but according to SportsMole, he's still got two games left on the suspension, and will be unlikely to feature again in this tournament.

Fans will anticipate a return to the starting eleven for Burnley's Lyle Foster, who was dropped after a lacklustre performance against Mexico. He made an impact off the bench for Bafana in the draw against Czechia.

There's no denying this fixture could be the most important game in South Africa's history; the dizzy heights of the round of 32 await Bafana, and this will be the first qualification for the knockout rounds in the nation's history.

The Taeguk Warriors have impressed in the World Cup so far. They opened their account with a valuable win against Czechia in the first round. After conceding first, Beşiktaş striker Hyun-Gyu Oh scored the winner in South Korea's opening game.

A dull 1-0 loss to Mexico followed in South Korea's next game. Hong's team was lacking a sufficient attacking threat, with captain Heung-Min Son leaving the field early in the second half.

The Tottenham Hotspur legend will hope to improve on an underwhelming first two games for South Korea. He'll likely keep his place in the starting eleven, but if the trend continues, he won't play his first 90 minutes of the World Cup.

Favoured personnel such as Kang-In Lee, Kim-Min Jae, and In-Beom Hwang, who has registered a goal and an assist in this tournament, will likely start again tonight.

Seung- Ho Paik, Stoke City's midfielder, is likely to retain his place in the starting eleven tonight, with little competition from the bench.

Hong will be hoping for a change in fortune after his team failed to beat Mexico late last week, but the stakes could not be higher.

A win for South Korea would cement their place in the knockout rounds, and a draw would all but do the same without a proper guarantee. A loss may not mean the end of the road for South Korea, though, as they'll rely on Czechia losing to retain a possible route to qualification.