Czechia vs South Africa predictions, stats, tips & odds
No previous meetings between these teams.
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1
Ladislav Krejcí1
- 1Michal Sadílek2
- 2Adam Hlozek2
- 3
Mbekezeli Mbokazi1 - 4Lyle Foster1
- 5Ladislav Krejcí1
- 6Pavel Sulc1
- 7Tomás Soucek1
- 8Aubrey Modiba1
- 1Khuliso Mudau3
- 2Ladislav Krejcí2
- 3Pavel Sulc2
- 4Lukás Provod2
- 5Mbekezeli Mbokazi1
- 6Thalente Mbatha1
- 7Alexandr Sojka1
- 8Aubrey Modiba1
- 9Ime Okon1
Czech Republic and South Africa get the second wave of 2026 World Cup group stage fixtures underway at 5pm on Thursday.
The Czechs threw away a one-goal lead to lose 2-1 to South Korea in their Group A opener. South Africa, meanwhile, were comfortably beaten 2-0 by Mexico in the tournament’s first match.
Czech Republic vs South Africa Predictions & Betting Tips
| Our Prediction | Odds & Bookmaker | Confidence | Why We’re Backing It |
|---|---|---|---|
| Czech Republic to win & both teams to score | 10/3 @ bet365 (23.1%) | ⭐⭐⭐ | An already underwhelming South African side will be further hampered by suspensions. However, they’ll have to show more attacking intent in this fixture than they did against Mexico. Bafana Bafana could possibly call upon wingers Oswin Appollis and Relebohile Mofokeng to bolster their forward line, and in doing so, will cause a few problems for a Czech Republic defence who looked shaky when conceding two to South Korea. |
| Over 1.5 Czech Republic Goals | 1/1 @ SpreadEx (50%) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Mexico breezed past South Africa in the tournament opener, scoring two goals. And they were left kicking themselves that they didn’t net more. Bafana Bafana’s defence faced plenty of traffic and the same is expected here, especially with the attacking quality that Czech Republic have at their disposal. |
Odds correct at the time of writing. Please gamble responsibly.
How both teams go into Czech Republic vs South Africa
Czech Republic
As mentioned earlier, Czech Republic fell to a 2-1 defeat in their opening Group A fixture with South Korea. Miroslav Koubek’s side opened the scoring in the second half through Ladislav Krejci’s header from a long-throw set-piece. That lead lasted just eight minutes as Hwang In-Beom’s composure in front of goal drew them level. The Czechs later had a goal disallowed for offside before substitute Oh Hyeon-Gu’s 80th-minute goal earned Korea all three points.
The tournament’s expanded format does afford teams a lot more leeway when it comes to qualifying for the knockout stages. And the Czech Republic will take comfort in that. However, they need to get points on the board during this second wave of group stage fixtures, meaning a win over South Africa has to be the target.
South Africa
Bafana Bafana looked ill-equipped to handle Mexico in this year’s first World Cup game last Thursday. They came up dramatically short in a 2-0 win for the co-hosts, and can consider themselves extremely lucky to have only lost by such a modest score line. Hugo Broos’ men raised several concerns in their performance, most notably through their impotent attack and poor disciplinary record which resulted in two red cards and a further two yellows.
On Matchday Two, South Africa must do a lot more if they intend on sticking around beyond the group stage. They managed just three efforts across the whole 90 minutes and made it far too easy for Mexico to control the tempo of the game.
Czech Republic team news
The Czech Republic came through their loss to South Korea with no new injury concerns. Manager Koubek is expected to stick with the 3-4-2-1 formation that has brought success in recent months, with goalscorer Ladislav Krejci set to keep his place in the back three, while Patrik Schick is likely to lead the line once again.
South Africa team news
South Africa will be forced into changes after the suspensions of Yaya Sithole and Themba Zwane, with Broos expected to switch to a 4-2-3-1 formation. Jayden Adams should retain his place in midfield alongside Thalente Mbatha in a double pivot, while Lyle Foster is set to lead the attack, potentially at the expense of Nkosinathi Sibisi and with Iqraam Rayners likely dropping to the bench.
Head-to-Head
Czech Republic and South Africa have met only once before, playing out a 2-2 draw back in 1997 in a FIFA Confederations Cup fixture.
Will it be Czech Republic or South Africa who comes out on top?
If opening performances and results are anything to go by, then South Africa have serious cause for concern.
We’re backing Czech Republic to win with both teams to score at 10/3 with bet365. Although the Czechs came away from match day 1 without anything to show for their efforts, there was enough evidence there to show they’re more than capable of competing.
We also like the look of Czech Republic over 1.5 goals at 1/1 with SpreadEx. They netted once against South Korea and had the ball in the back of the net again before being ruled for offside.
Odds correct at the time of writing. Please gamble responsibly.
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