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2026 FIFA World Cup Day 13 recap: South Africa disappoint Nigerians as Morocco break Nigeria’s record
Day 13 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup was not a good day for Nigerians as their hate watch did not turn out the way they expected after Morocco and South Africa won.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup action continued on day 13 as the final round of group games kicked off.
Group A, Group B, and Group C teams were all in action, with all matches from each group serving drama until the end.
Following the final whistle, a couple of teams now know their fate, while some face an anxious wait over the next couple of days.
With that said, here is a recap of how the action went down in these groups.
Group A: South Africa shock Nigerians as Mexico maintain perfect record
Coming into the tournament, Nigerians mission has always been to root against South Africa in every game.
Not only because the Bafana Bafana denied the Super Eagles a spot, but also because of the xenophobic attacks Nigerians have been getting from black South Africans in South Africa.
While the hate-watch was successful in the opening game against Mexico, Nigerians have been left disappointed in games 2 and 3 after South Africa picked up four points to qualify for the round of 32.
The Bafana Bafana held Czech Republic to a 1-1 draw in their second game before securing a stunning 1-0 win over South Korea in their last group game.
It was an unexpected result, but the Koreans, who also needed to win, were out of sorts in Monterrey.
The Asian giants could not get the job done, as Thapelo Maseko’s goal in the 63rd minute gave Hugo Broos’ men a shock 1-0 victory, ensuring they finished in second place.
Meanwhile, in the other group game, Mexico made it three wins out of three as they beat Czech Republic 3-0.
Goals from Mateo Chavez Garcia, Julian Quinones and Alvaro Fidalgo sealed a perfect group stage record for El Tri.
Javier Aguirre’s men finished the group with nine wins and three clean sheets, while South Africa finished second and will meet Canada in the round of 32.
As for South Korea, they will wait to see if they qualify as one of the best third-place sides.
Group B: Switzerland topple Canada as Bosnia make history
Switzerland and Canada were embroiled in a battle for the top spot in Group B, with the Swiss coming out on top in Vancouver.
Following a goalless first half, Switzerland took the lead immediately after the restart through Ruben Vargas. Johan Manzambi then doubled Murat Yakin’s men’s lead in the 57th minute for his third goal of the tournament.
Although Promise David pulled one back for the Canadians, Switzerland held on for the win to finish top of the group, with Canada finishing second.
Meanwhile, in the other group game, Bosnia and Herzegovina qualified for the round of 32 as one of the best third-place teams after beating Qatar 3-1.
Kerim Alajbegovic put the Bosnians ahead in the 29th minute before Mahmoud Abunada diverted the ball into his own net to double their lead.
Qatar put up a fight, though, as Hasan Al Haydos pulled one back for the Asian champions in the 42nd minute. However, Ermin Mahmic’s strike in the 80th minute sealed a comfortable 3-1 win for Bosnia.
Group C: Vinicius shines for Brazil as Morocco set new African record
Brazil finished top of Group C after beating Scotland, thanks to Vinicius Jr’s brace and Matheus Cunha’s strike.
Carlo Ancelotti’s men knew they had to win and match Morocco’s result to finish top and get an easy round of 32 match.
They did not waste time showing their intentions as Vinicius capitalised on a defensive error to put Brazil ahead in the seventh minute.
The Real Madrid star almost doubled Brazil’s lead minutes later, but his effort was ruled out for a foul in the buildup.
However, he did get his second on the stroke of half-time, heading home a cross from Bruno Guimarães.
Cunha then added a third on the hour mark, following a ball from Guimarães to give Brazil a comfortable 3-0 win.
In the other group game, Morocco also secured a comfortable 4-2 win over Haiti, but it was only enough to finish second.
It was not smooth sailing, though, as the Atlas Lions fell behind in the tenth minute after Bono’s own goal.
Achraf Hakimi restored parity for the African champions in the 39th minute, but Wilson Isidor restored Haiti’s lead two minutes before the break.
However, Ismael Sabari’s third goal of the tournament ensured Morocco went into the break with the scores level.
The African champions then took control of the match, as second-half goals from Soufiane Rahimi and Yassine Gessime gave Morocco the three points and secured their spot in the round of 32.
Morocco’s win was its seventh World Cup win, breaking Nigeria’s record as the African country with the most wins in World Cup history.
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