South Korea’s crumbling World Cup campaign has been left dangling by a thread following an insipid 1-0 defeat by deserving South Africa, on a night when Hong Myung-bo excluded Son Heung-min from his starting line-up.

It had appeared that Hong’s team were limping towards a last-32 meeting with Canada in Los Angeles, home to more than 300,000 Koreans, when they survived multiple South African opportunities to remain deadlocked beyond the hour mark.

But energetic winger Thapelo Maseko, the most dangerous player on the pitch, finished expertly after 63 minutes to secure his side’s progress to a World Cup knockout stage for the first time.

Hong, already under the microscope back at home, is staring at the ignominy of twice failing to take South Korea out of their group, after claiming only one point as boss in 2014.

They must wait to learn whether they advance as a best third-place finisher. Mexico beat the Czech Republic 3-0 to top Group A with a 100-per-cent winning record. The Europeans ended rock bottom on one point.

The Koreans’ slump represented more bad news for Asian football following a dismal fortnight in North America for the continent’s representatives. The nine teams here have played a combined 20 matches, winning three and losing 12. They have scored 19 goals and conceded 44, claiming 14 points out of a possible 60. Which ever way you look at them, the figures make for sorry reading.