South Africa vs Italy: Down but not out…how will Banyana Banyana react in crunch tie?
Both South Africa and Italy will be battling for a coveted spot in the round of 16 when they face off on matchday three on Tuesday. Although Banyana Banyana currently sit in third place, a win for Desiree Ellis’s side would see them join Sweden in the round of 16 for the first time in history. Despite an early loss to Sweden, who are ranked third in the world, South Africa did show signs of improvement when they faced Argentina on matchday two.
However, a lack of defensive concentration saw them shockingly throw away a comfortable 2-0 lead to barely hang on for a 2-2 draw. That will naturally be a major source of concern ahead of their showdown against Italy, who, despite suffering a humiliating 5-0 loss to Sweden on matchday two, still do have some players who could cause South Africa some major worries in defense.
South Africa, who came into this competition as the champions of Africa, will guarantee themselves a spot in the round of 16 if they can see off Italy, but will also need Sweden to make sure that they don’t drop points against Argentina. Meanwhile, Italy will be desperate for redemption following their embarrassing 5-0 defeat to Sweden on matchday two. After beating Argentina by a narrow 1-0 margin, hopes were high for this Azzurre squad, only to be brought crashing back down to earth at the hands of Sweden.
It ended a five match unbeaten streak for Italy, but they will nonetheless secure passage as Group G’s runners-up if they avoid a loss on Tuesday. An outright win will earn them a place in the round of 16, while a draw would be enough provided that Argentina don’t defeat Sweden.
Both South Africa and Italy are relatively newer faces at the World Cup, and one of these teams will be heading home early. Will South Africa be able to earn what would be a first ever win and secure a spot in the next rounds? Or will Italy recover from their matchday two humiliation and rebound in order to join 15 other teams in the first knockout rounds?
