Argentina will be looking to finally get over the Women's World Cup hump as they take on South Africa in the second round of Group G play.
The South American nation has yet to win its first Women's World Cup match through 10 tries, with eight defeats and two draws to their name. Ranked 28th in the world and matched up against the 54th-ranked South Africans, this seems to be their best opportunity yet for that elusive first victory.
The Albiceleste were narrowly beaten 1-0 in their opener against Italy on an 87th-minute decider, leaving them needing three points from this match to keep their realistic hopes of a knockout-stage spot alive.
The same goes for South Africa, who were felled 2-1 by Sweden, pushing the third-ranked European nation to the brink before falling in heartbreaking fashion on a 90th-minute winner.
If Argentina are buoyed by their ranking advantage, they only need to look to that recent near-miss for South Africa to know this match won't be a cake-walk to that milestone moment. The opponents are looking for a milestone of their own, with South Africa yet to earn a single point through four Women's World Cup matches in the nation's history.
Argentina vs South Africa match facts
- Date: Friday, July 28
- Kickoff Time: 8 p.m. ET (Thu, July 27) / 1 a.m. BST / 10 a.m. AEST
- Location: Forsyth Barr Stadium (Dunedin, New Zealand)
- Official: Anna-Marie Keighley (NZL)
- Last meeting: None (First meeting)
Argentina vs South Africa prediction, odds
- Moneyline lean: Argentina (+105)
- Handicap lean: Argentina -0.5 (+100)
- Score prediction: Argentina 2-0 South Africa
Both these teams pushed better-ranked nations to the brink in their opening matches, and both came away with nothing to show for it, so the hunger will be there on both sides to snatch three points. With Sweden and Italy now holding all the cards in the group, a draw here does neither of these teams any good, so it should be an exciting affair.
Argentina weren't exactly prolific against Italy, but they managed to hold their own, progressing the ball forward and breaking the opposing defensive line at nearly the same volume that Italy did to them. If they can get Atletico Madrid winger Estefania Banini involved in more attacking areas (with 86 touches, she managed just five passes in the final third), they will find key moments in front of goal.
| Argentina win | Draw | S. Africa win | Both teams to score Y / N | Over / Under 2.5 goals | ARG -0.5 | SAF +0.5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BetMGM (USA) | +105 | +210 | +275 | +115 / -165 | +150 / -210 | +100 | -145 |
| Sports Interaction (Canada) | 2.09 | 3.15 | 3.65 | 2.08 / 1.59 | 2.55 / 1.50 | 2.07 | 1.73 |
| SkyBet (UK) | 11/10 | 21/10 | 13/5 | 11/10, 4/6 | 6/4, 1/2 | — | — |
| Unibet (Australia) | 2.04 | 3.20 | 4.00 | 2.10 / 1.67 | 2.48 / 1.50 | 2.02 | 1.78 |
| Dafabet (India) | 2.15 | 3.30 | 3.85 | 2.22 / 1.67 | 2.53 / 1.47 | 2.08 | 1.76 |
Argentina vs South Africa: best bet
- Pick: Argentina to keep a clean sheet
- Odds: +115 (BetMGM)
Coming into the Women's World Cup, Argentina had conceded just a single goal in six matches dating back to February, holding Chile, New Zealand (twice), Venezuela, and Peru all off the scoresheet. In the opener against Italy, they kept their European opponents to just four shots on target and zero "big chances" through the 90 minutes — a strong feat against a quality attacking side.
South Africa did manage a goal on 10 shots against defensively stout Sweden, but it was a wholly avoidable goal that came from no fewer than four separate defensive mistakes, including the goalkeeper spilling a relatively straightforward take.
Argentina vs South Africa prop bet
- Pick: Under 3.5 yellow cards
- Odds: 4/5 (SkyBet)
These teams picked up a significant combined total of bookings in their opening matches, with Argentina collecting four and South Africa shown two. After that, the odds on yellow cards for this match have been skewed a bit, and we can take advantage. Argentina's haul was especially out of character, as through the 2019 Women's World Cup, they collected just three cautions in total through their three matches.
After so many bookings in the first game, players will be careful not to pick up a second yellow, lest they be suspended for the third group game.
Additionally, while we don't have league information on New Zealand referee Anna-Marie Keighley, we do know she officiated two games at the 2019 Women's World Cup, and showed just four total yellow cards, two in each game. The women's game generally has fewer bookings than the men's, and with that, 3.5 cards is a high bar to clear. We can safely slide under that total here, between the player caution and referee pragmatism.
Argentina vs South Africa live stream, TV channel
| TV channel | Streaming | |
|---|---|---|
| USA | Fox Sports 1, Universo | Fubo, Peacock, Universo NOW, Fox Sports app |
| Canada | TSN1, TSN3, TSN4, TSN5, RDS | TSN+, RDS app |
| UK | ITV1, STV Scotland, UTV | ITVX, STV Player |
| Australia | — | Optus Sport |
| New Zealand | Sky Sport 1 | Sky Sport NOW, Sky GO |
| India | DD Sports | FanCode |
| Hong Kong | NOW Sports Prime | — |
| Malaysia | — | FIFA Plus |
| Singapore | — | meWATCH, FIFA WWC CH01 |
