As they say, it is easier said than done. Banyana Banyana needs a win against Gli Azzurre; (Italy) in their final group stage match on Wednesday morning in Wellington, New Zealand.
Mathematically South Africa can make it to the knockout round by winning their first-ever match in the World Cup against Italy.
Still, even if they can beat the Blues in Wednesday’s critical fixture, the result between Argentina and Sweden should favour them. In other words, the best result for South Africa will be a Swedish win against Argentina.
Banyana Banyana came into the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup as the lowest-ranked team in the group at number 54, whilst their opponents Italy are ranked number 16 globally.
On paper, Italy is miles ahead of South Africa in women’s football, and it looks like it will be a very long Wednesday evening for Banyana Banyana in Wellington, New Zealand.