South Africa scored a late penalty to keep their World Cup hopes alive, playing a 1-1 draw with the Czech Republic in Atlanta on Thursday.
Michal Sadilek’s early opener put the Czechs on track for only their second World Cup victory as an independent nation.
Mokoena’s late penalty kick left both teams in contention for the last 32, though they will almost probably need to win their last group A match to advance.
Both teams have one point, two behind co-hosts Mexico and South Korea, who square off later on Thursday.
South Africa will next play South Korea, while the Czech Republic faces Mexico in the Estadio Azteca.
Both teams struggled on the first day of the World Cup, but the Czechs swiftly turned things around.
Patrik Schick is the biggest name in a Czech side that lacks the star power of previous generations, but the Bayer Leverkusen attacker squandered a golden opportunity inside the first minute by planting a header wide.
After a five-minute wait, Miroslav Koubek’s team took the lead. Alexandr Sojka cushioned Adam Hlozek’s cross, and Sadilek calmly stroked the ball past Ronwen Williams.
South Africa have never advanced beyond the group stage at the World Cup in their four attempts.
Hugo Broos has improved Bafana Bafana’s fortunes since taking over five years ago.
Despite not qualifying for the World Cup since 2002, they finished third at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
However, their return to the global stage has revealed a lack of quality, particularly in forward areas.
The Czechs missed opportunities to win the game early in the second half, and Vladimir Darida took too long to score.
The Atlanta Falcons’ futuristic stadium had thousands of empty seats, but those in attendance booed the mid-half hydration breaks in an enclosed and air-conditioned stadium.
The majority of the crowd supported South Africa and finally had something to cheer seven minutes from time when Thapelo Maseko’s shot hit Pavel Sulc’s arm, and referee Tori Penso, part of an all-female officiating team, pointed to it.
However, both teams had to settle for a point, which might prove crucial at the end of Wednesday’s final Group A games.
