South Africa vs. South Korea: Five players who could define the Group A decider in Monterrey

South Africa's World Cup survival is on the line against South Korea in Thursday morning's Group A finale in Monterrey, and Hugo Broos's side know that only a win will keep their last-32 hopes alive. South Korea, who sit second on three points, require just a draw to confirm their progression, but will equally be eager to finish the job and secure second place.

With so much at stake for both sides, here are the five players who are most likely to influence the outcome.

South Africa's key men

Ronwen Williams

Williams has been comfortably South Africa's most dependable performer at this World Cup, and his importance to Broos's side cannot be overstated.

None of the three goals conceded by Bafana Bafana have been attributable to the goalkeeper, whose reflexes and composure have repeatedly saved his side from heavier defeats. Against Mexico, a one-handed stop to deny Raul Jimenez inside the first ten minutes set the tone for a performance that kept the damage to a manageable scoreline. South Africa will need their captain at his best once more.

Relebohile Mofokeng

Few players have made a more immediate impact when introduced from the bench at this tournament. The Orlando Pirates playmaker transformed South Africa's shape and tempo when he came on at half-time against the Czech Republic, and there is a strong argument that he should start here.

Mofokeng's burst of pace, close control in congested areas and intelligence in behind the defensive line make him ideally suited to a match where South Korea are likely to push forward in search of a win. Space will open up, and Mofokeng is the kind of player capable of exploiting it before a defence can recover.

Evidence Makgopa

The Orlando Pirates striker tends to fly under the radar in this South Africa squad, but Thursday's game could be built for him.

Physical, strong in the air and a genuine threat from crosses and set-pieces, Makgopa presents a matchup problem that South Korea's typically compact and smaller-framed defenders may struggle to cope with. If Broos wants to trouble the Korean backline directly rather than trying to play through them, Makgopa is the most credible instrument to do so — and a case can be made for handing him the start ahead of Lyle Foster and Iqraam Rayners.

South Korea's key men

Kim Min-jae

The Bayern Munich centre-back is South Korea's anchor at the back and among the most recognisable names in the Asian nation's squad for good reason. His combination of recovery pace, aerial authority and physical presence sets the tone defensively, and the former Napoli man brings a quiet authority to those around him.

Set-pieces are the one area where South Africa will look to test him from the opposite direction — Kim is equally dangerous as an attacking force from corners and free-kicks, so Broos's side must be alert to his runs forward.

Kim Seung-gyu

The South Korea goalkeeper has already caught the eye at this World Cup with a string of important interventions, most notably a trio of outstanding saves that kept Mexico to a single goal in the second group game.

Across his two appearances, Kim has stopped six of the eight shots he has faced, a 75 per cent save rate that reflects both his shot-stopping ability and his composure under pressure. His technical quality with the ball at his feet is another asset, allowing him to launch attacks from deep and contribute to the build-up in a way that extends South Korea's threat beyond the defensive third.

Son Heung-min

South Korea's captain and talisman remains their most dangerous attacking outlet despite entering the latter stages of his career. The 33-year-old may not have the electric pace that made him one of the Premier League's most feared forwards during his decade at Tottenham Hotspur, but he has replaced it with an intelligence and positional craft that is arguably harder to defend against.

Son's ability to operate effectively across the entire frontline — through the middle, in behind or out wide — means South Africa will have no clean way to man-mark him out of the game. His 146 caps and 56 international goals for South Korea underline the pedigree that Bafana Bafana's backline will have to contend with from the first whistle.