Czech Republic v South Africa – predictions and odds – 2026 World Cup (18 June 2026)

We’re now into the second matchday of the group stage of the 2026 World Cup, and some teams are already with their backs against the wall. In Group A, the two sides that opened with defeats will be looking to bounce back from a poor start in a clash that will determine their hopes of staying in the competition. On paper, the Czech Republic and South Africa are the favourites to secure third place, which, provided they have a good goal difference, would see them through to the round of 32. Let’s see who has the better chance of claiming victory.

We’ll start with the Europeans, who are coming off a defeat against South Korea in a match where they showed their quality and where only defensive lapses in the dying moments of the game prevented them from picking up points. With Krejci on the scoresheet, they demonstrated their ability to break forward quickly and strike at their opponents. Koubek’s men are expected to manage matches well, given that they have experienced players with plenty of battles under their belts. Players such as Schick, Soucek and Coufal already know what it’s like to play at the highest level, so let’s hope they’re in top form this Thursday, 18 June.

Opposing them will be a South Africa side that proved the perfect sparring partner for one of this World Cup’s hosts. Hugo Bross’s side took to the pitch at the Azteca but barely put up a fight against Mexico. Just nine minutes into the match, they made a mistake unworthy of a World Cup side, giving the ball away to Quiñones as they tried to build from the back. A disaster that ended with two players sent off (Sithole and Zwane) and the feeling that they haven’t progressed much since 2010, when they were also in the spotlight on the first day of the competition. Beyond those defensive errors, they were also unable to create any clear-cut chances in attack. Neither Rayners nor Foster were able to capitalise on any of their forays forward. Let’s hope to see them improve, because so far they have been one of the biggest disappointments.

In short, based on what we’ve seen in the first match of Group A and given the Czechs’ current form, we believe it will be difficult for them to let victory slip away. They should start the match focused and draw on their performances against Denmark and Ireland in the play-offs, proving they can improve on their performance after being knocked out at the first hurdle in the last European Championship. We’ll go for a straightforward bet as the odds are good; we’re backing a 1.