Czech Republic held to 1-1 draw by South Africa
The match, held at Atlanta Stadium in the United States, saw the Czech Republic surrender an early lead as South Africa fought back late in the game to earn a valuable point.
KATHMANDU: The Czech Republic and South Africa played out a 1-1 draw in the opening match of the second round of Group A fixtures at the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Thursday.
The match, held at Atlanta Stadium in the United States, saw the Czech Republic surrender an early lead as South Africa fought back late in the game to earn a valuable point.
The Czech side made a dream start when Michal Sadílek found the net in the sixth minute, giving his team a 1-0 advantage.
The Europeans maintained their lead for much of the contest and appeared on course for victory.
However, South Africa were awarded a penalty in the 83rd minute after a Czech defender handled the ball inside the penalty area.
Tebogo Mokoena stepped up and calmly converted the spot-kick to level the score at 1-1.
Neither side was able to find a winner in the closing stages, leaving both teams with a share of the points in a closely contested encounter.
Meanwhile, the other Group A match between Mexico and South Korea is scheduled to kick off later tonight at 12:45 a.m. Nepali time.
