- Czech Republic have won four of their last five games, losing just once
- South Africa have played only one away game in this tournament, losing and failing to score
Czechs have enough creativity to overcome Bafana Bafana
Czech Republic and South Africa are both seeking their first points in FIFA World Cup, Group A on Thursday when they face off at Atlanta Stadium, USA.
Czech Republic opened their account with a 2-1 defeat to Republic of Korea while South Africa suffered a 2-0 loss to Mexico in their Group A opener.
The two sides have little going for them if they are to make any impact in 2026 so this game takes on added significance in terms of getting some momentum in the group and a little bit of validation at the world's biggest stage.
Miroslav Koubek took over as Czech Republic coach in December 2025 and has introduced a pragmatic, structured and set-piece based system that has been hard to break down. It relies on a disciplined three-at-the-back and has not always been easy to watch, but it has got them to the World Cup and they will be confident they can do enough to beat South Africa.
Bafana Bafana are physical but can be outpaced
Hugo Broos has instilled a flexible system on South Africa since taking over in 2021, with a compact block and an ability to transition quickly when they win the ball. They are physical and work hard to disrupt the game-flow, but have some pace on the break, which could trouble the Czechs. Broos is fortunate to have some players who are tough to get past physically and can break up play, but they are not the best at picking the ball up and driving forward themselves so South Africa will have to be patient and make the best of their chances on the break.
Czech Republic are a bit short at 1.82
Ladislav Krejci is Czech Republic's top scorer at this World Cup with one goal in one game and that should tell you all you need to know about the type of team Koubek has got. It will be a set-piece fest and it's hard to see South Africa being the team to unlock the Czech backline.
Vladimir Coufal has one assist already in this World Cup and his pace and ability to create from wide areas gives the Czechs a creative outlet. In Patrik Schick, they also have an aerial presence and excellent finisher that South Africa may struggle to match.
Bafana Bafana will be a tough team to break down and can be dangerous on the counter attack, but they have lacked the penetration in the final third over the past two matches and that could be costly again.
Czech Republic should win this match, but with an expectation of both teams to score and Over 2.5 goals at 2.08 the price is a little low.
