It wasn’t the start we were hoping for! A nation held its collective breath, hoping beyond hope that Bafana Bafana could finally kick-off a World Cup tournament with a victory, but it wasn’t to be. Mexico were by far excellent value for their 2-0 triumph, while our boys looked out of sorts.
Perhaps, the occasion got to them, and we crumbled under the pressure of more than 1.2 billion eyes on us. It was a devastating evening, as not only did we lose the match, but we also lost two player who won’t be available for selection in the next group game.
But all is not lost – with the expanded tournament, we still have a chance at qualifying as one of eight third-placed teams. However, that means no room for error when we meet Czechia on Thursday evening at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. As a result, Mzansi must believe and hope they show up indeed!
Bafana bet 1 – 1×2 – Czechia (1.77 on 10bet)
South Africa, please don’t hate me! However, we need to be realistic about this one. Watching Czechia in action against South Korea just highlighted our shortcomings even more. They’re well drilled under Miroslav Koubek and played out a close contest with Korea.
Despite losing 2-1, they could have easily snatched a draw considering the number of chances they had. Additionally, that defeat was Czechia’s first in their last 7 matches, 6 of which they were victorious. On the other hand, we’ve delivered just 1 win from our last 8 matches, 4 of which ended in defeat.
Broos must be more positive against the Europeans that he was against Mexico. Playing 5 at the back is not the answer, and perhaps including Oswin Appollis in the starting 11 should be in his thinking. Either way, with 20 places between South Africa and Czechia, it’s unlikely that our boys will get over the line here.
Bafana bet 2 – BTTS – Yes (1.99 on 10bet)
Mzansi – let’s face it, Lyle Foster was absolutely poor against Mexico. The few chances that he did have were not taken clinically. His passing was of serious concern, but not to single him out, because as a group we just didn’t have a plan.
The hope is that Broos throws in more at the final third, seeing as there’s nothing to lose from this point. South Africa have scored 5 goals in their last 7 matches, which means they certainly have what it takes to pierce the Czech back line. Additionally, Koubek’s men are on a run of scoring 10 goals in their recent 5 games.
At an average of 2 goals per game, we can be confident that they will get pass our defence. But there is hope for Bafana in that Czechia conceded 8 goals in their last 5 outings, an indication that they’re not completely solid in defence. Furthermore, the only meeting between the sides ended 2-2 in the 1997 Confederations Cup, which is why we’re suggesting both teams to score here on Thursday.
Bafana bet 3 – Anytime goalscorer – Patrik Schick (2.39 on 10bet)
I apologise to Bafana fans again, but we can back Lyle Foster (4.10) to score, but we’ve also got to be real about it. Perhaps if Broos goes with Evidence Makgopa (4.40) or Oswin Appollis (5.00), they’re worth backing to find the back of the net, especially the former who’s efficient in the air.
However, the only striker in form at the moment is the man leading the opposition line. Schick had a quiet opener against Korea, but I expect him to have more freedom against Mbokazi and company. The Bayer Leverkusen forward has scored 8 goals in his last 10 matches for both club and country, which is why it’s worth backing him to find some joy on Thursday evening.
Byron David
Byron lives and breathes sport, and took an interest in writing at an early age. His career has seen him write for several publications in South Africa and abroad. He’s a proud Gooner and bleeds Green and Gold.
