The good, the bad and the ugly: South Africa's second pool games at World Cups

[p]It is not the first time they have been in such a scenario at the global finals, with their three previous second pool matches at the World Cup providing something akin to the good, the bad and the ugly.[/p][p]In every one of the games they have played to date, there has been at least one red card. Let’s hope that run ends in 2026.[/p][p]Here is a look back at how they have fared at this stage of the competition.[/p][p] [/p][h2][b]1998 World Cup[/b][/h2][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/denmark-0KUdxQVi/south-africa-W2ijYvlr/?mid=MPGjwSRh"]South Africa 1-1 Denmark[/a][/b][/p][p]Bafana’s clash with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/mexico/O6iHcNkd/"]Mexico[/a] in their opener this year was not their only World Cup game to have three red cards. The second pool fixture against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/denmark/0KUdxQVi/"]Denmark[/a] in 1998 also featured a red mist, but this time it was their opponents who finished with nine men.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nielsen-allan/ELZq76j8/"]Allan Nielsen[/a] gave the Danes the lead on 13 minutes, but [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mccarthy-benni/d4ZZqbQc/"]Benni McCarthy[/a] equalised six minutes into the second period for Bafana’s first ever World Cup goal.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/phiri-alfred/lYwI0U5P/"]Alfred Phiri[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/molnar-miklos/0vGFo0gH/"]Miklos Molnar[/a] both saw red after a clash on 68 minutes, before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wieghorst-morten/vqp7TVUm/"]Morten Wieghorst[/a] was also sent off near the end.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fortune-quinton/E9kfNha5/"]Quinton Fortune[/a] hit the crossbar late on as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/south-africa/W2ijYvlr/"]South Africa[/a] could have snatched it. That would prove crucial later on.[/p][p][b]Team: [/b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vonk-hans/46pVBIbD/"]Hans Vonk[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fish-mark/SAUtgtNP/"]Mark Fish[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/issa-pierre/fZairII5/"]Pierre Issa[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nyathi-david/CABQw7bC/"]David Nyathi[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/buckley-delron/2s6EOfll/"]Delron Buckley[/a] 89’), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/radebe-lucas/hbw8oDWD/"]Lucas Radebe[/a], Quinton Fortune, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mkhalele-helman/8IKle8Tn/"]Helman Mkhalele[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/moshoeu-john/QgVqdlEt/"]John Moshoeu[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/augustine-brendan/n9JhfSrg/"]Brendan Augustine[/a] (Alfred Phiri 46’), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bartlett-shaun/IiJQTxVI/"]Shaun Bartlett[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/masinga-phil/WCRRyoTO/"]Phil Masinga[/a] 78’), Benedict McCarthy. [b]Coach: [/b]Philippe Troussier.[/p][embed guid="2f07c767-cb7f-4def-b189-0feb068b3014" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XiORDBysKI" social-type="youtube" /][h2][b]2002 World Cup[/b][/h2][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/south-africa-W2ijYvlr/uruguay-xMk44orG/?mid=SrJDYM9p"]South Africa 1-0 Slovenia[/a][/b][/p][p]A first ever World Cup victory for South Africa at the fifth attempt and it came against a country from the same region as the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/czech-republic/6LHwBDGU/"]Czech Republic[/a]. An omen?[/p][p]It was no World Cup classic, but Bafana did not care as they were finally on the board and deserved winners in the end.[/p][p]The goal was perhaps in keeping with the game, scrappy, as a free-kick was sent into the box and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nomvethe-siyabonga/0jg7VD18/"]Siyabonga Nomvethe[/a] steered the ball into the net off his thigh.[/p][p]Clearly he was going for the ball, but did he mean it like that? No. But they all count.[/p][p]That goal came after just four minutes and settled the Bafana nerves as they held on for the win.[/p][p]Slovenian coach [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/katanec-srecko/6w2vkiw4/"]Srečko Katanec[/a] received a red card early in the second half.[/p][p][b]Team: [/b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/arendse-andre/ldaesxYB/"]Andre Arendse[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mokoena-aaron/QXvQtzuT/"]Aaron Mokoena[/a], Lucas Radebe, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/carnell-bradley/z9ZXDy6o/"]Bradley Carnell[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nzama-cyril/hERx2SlE/"]Cyril Nzama[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sibaya-macbeth/IPxQIaxQ/"]MacBeth Sibaya[/a], Tebeho Mokoena, Quinton Fortune ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mahlangu-jabu/fkrzpvlg/"]Jabu Pule[/a] 84’), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zuma-sibusiso/Wb7CN0af/"]Sibusiso Zuma[/a], Siyabonga Nomvethe (Delron Buckley 71’), Benedict McCarthy ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/koumantarakis-george/h0x3RTDh/"]George Koumantarakis[/a] 80’). [b]Coach: [/b]Jomo Sono.[/p][embed guid="589c7391-0f2d-4f81-8403-b7627dcd8e13" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YW8a6r-U6cY" social-type="youtube" /][h2]2010 World Cup[/h2][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/south-africa-W2ijYvlr/uruguay-xMk44orG/?mid=SrJDYM9p"]South Africa 0-3 Uruguay[/a][/b][/p][p]Bafana were coming off a credible [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/mexico-O6iHcNkd/south-africa-W2ijYvlr/?mid=EywwuPWG"]1-1[/a] draw with Mexico in their opener in 2010, where they might have snatched victory at the end after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/katlego-mphela/bVkL5WTD/"]Katlego Mphela[/a] missed from close range.[/p][p]Next up was an in-form [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/uruguay/xMk44orG/"]Uruguay[/a], who would go on to reach the semi-finals and took Bafana apart on a cold night in Pretoria.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/forlan-diego/AgK0X9Xg/"]Diego Forlan[/a] was the architect with an opening goal midway through the first half and then a penalty late on after goalkeeper [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/khune-itumeleng/tEvPYnu7/"]Itumeleng Khune[/a] was sent off for a foul.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pereira-alvaro/lrp8099E/"]Alvaro Pereira[/a] added a third deep into injury time to cap a dismal night for the World Cup hosts.[/p][p]They would go on to beat [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/france/QkGeVG1n/"]France[/a] 2-1 in their final fixture, but this heavy defeat meant their goal difference took a knock and they bowed out despite finishing level on four points with Mexico.[/p][p][b]Team: [/b]Itumeleng Khune, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gaxa-siboniso/Wr15BUh8/"]Siboniso Gaxa[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/masilela-tsepo/QLbEnoG7/"]Tsepo Masilela[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/khumalo-bongani/A5r3eLJ6/"]Bongani Khumalo[/a], Aaron Mokoena, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/letsholonyane-reneilwe/08tdL8m3/"]Reneilwe Letsholonyane[/a] (Surprise Moriri 57’), Kagisho Dikgacoi, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pienaar-steven/zaIHqcIq/"]Steven Pienaar[/a] (Moeneb Josephs 79’), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/modise-teko/dfbwASxR/"]Teko Modise[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tshabalala-siphiwe/AZa9Al8E/"]Siphiwe Tshabalala[/a], Katlego Mphela. [b]Coach:[/b] Carlos Alberto Parreira.[/p]