South Africa vs South Korea Prediction & Betting Tips | 25 June 2026

Match Preview

South Africa find themselves in a do-or-die scenario as they prepare to face South Korea in their concluding Group A match. Bafana Bafana have managed to pick up just a single point from their initial two games and were rather lucky to escape defeat against the Czech Republic, drawing 1-1 after conceding a late penalty for handball. Hugo Broos' squad now requires the full three points if they harbour any hopes of advancing to the next round. While Sphephelo Sithole is back from his ban, the unavailability of crucial midfielders Themba Zwane and Teboho Mokoena due to suspension will be a significant setback. South Africa's recent performances have been less than impressive, with only two victories in their last ten outings and a solitary clean sheet in that timeframe. Nevertheless, they have consistently fashioned opportunities, averaging 1.61 expected goals per fixture. South Korea, on the other hand, can take considerable encouragement from their displays in the competition to date. Following a 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic in their opening game, the Taegeuk Warriors succumbed to an unlucky 1-0 defeat against Mexico, where a costly error from their goalkeeper proved to be the difference. The Asian contingent have largely appeared well-drilled and a threat in attack, and they come into this fixture with no new injury worries. Son Heung-min is still looking to break his duck in the tournament and will be keen to leave his mark in such a pivotal game. South Korea have emerged victorious in six of their last ten matches and possess a robust defensive record, having kept clean sheets in half of those games. Given that South Korea have appeared the more dominant side throughout the tournament and are facing fewer squad problems, an Away Win is a strong consideration, as are bets on Korea to Win to Nil and Son to Score. This World Cup 2026 fixture is scheduled for Thursday 25 June 2026, with kick-off at 02:00.

South Africa Team Form and Stats

South Africa's last 10 games across all competitions have yielded the following form: w, l, w, l, d, l, d, d, l, d. They've averaged 1.00 points per game overall. At home, their record reads w, l, d, l, d, also averaging 1.00 points per game. Away, it's l, w, d, l, d, with the same 1.00 points per game average.

Their performance statistics show:

* **Win Percentage:** 20% overall, 20% at home, 20% away.

* **Average Goals Per Game:** 2.30 overall, 2.20 at home, 2.40 away.

* **Goals Scored Per Game:** 1.00 overall, 1.00 at home, 1.00 away.

* **Goals Conceded Per Game:** 1.30 overall, 1.20 at home, 1.40 away.

* **Both Teams To Score:** 70% of matches overall, 80% at home, 60% away.

* **Clean Sheets:** 10% of matches overall, 20% at home, 0% away.

* **Failed to Score:** 30% of matches overall, 20% at home, 40% away.

* **Expected Goals (xG):** 1.61 overall, 1.69 at home, 1.53 away.

* **Expected Goals Against (xGA):** 0.95 overall, 0.72 at home, 1.18 away.

South Korea Team Form and Stats

South Korea's recent performance across their last 10 fixtures in all competitions shows a mixed bag. Their overall form reads: Loss, Win, Win, Win, Loss, Loss, Win, Win, Win, Loss. They are averaging 1.80 points per game overall.

At home, their record is: Loss, Win, Win, Win, Loss, Win, Win, Win. They are significantly stronger on home soil, picking up 2.25 points per game. Their away form is starkly different, with two losses and no wins, resulting in 0.00 points per game.

Looking at their statistics, South Korea have a 60% win rate overall, which jumps to a strong 75% at home but drops to 0% away. They average 2.50 goals per game in total, scoring 1.30 and conceding 1.20. At home, these figures improve to 2.88 goals per game, with 1.63 scored and 1.25 conceded. Away from home, they score an average of 1.00 goal and concede 1.00.

Both Teams To Score (BTTS) has occurred in 10% of their overall matches, 13% at home, and 0% away. They are keeping clean sheets in 50% of their games overall, 63% at home, and 0% away. Conversely, they have failed to score in 40% of their overall matches, 25% at home, and 100% away.

In terms of expected goals, their underlying metrics suggest they generate 1.31 expected goals overall, 1.38 at home, and 1.04 away. Their expected goals against are 0.94 overall, 0.98 at home, and 0.78 away.

South Africa vs South Korea Head to Head Statistics (H2H)

There's no prior head-to-head history to look at for these two clubs.