FIFA World Cup 2026 Prediction: Czech Republic vs South Africa (18-06-2026)

The pressure is already building in Group A after both teams opened their FIFA World Cup campaign with defeat.

Czech Republic suffered a narrow 2-1 loss to South Korea, while South Africa were beaten 2-0 by Mexico.

With another difficult fixture against Mexico still to come, this looks like a match the Czechs cannot afford to let slip.

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South Africa arrive with worrying form.

They have failed to win any of their last six matches, recording defeats against Mexico, Panama and Cameroon, while also drawing against Jamaica, Nicaragua and Panama.

Scoring goals has also been an issue.

South Africa have managed just three goals across those six matches and rarely look comfortable against stronger opposition.

Czech representatives have produced far more encouraging results despite their opening defeat at the World Cup.

Before losing to South Korea, they had won five consecutive matches, including victories over Guatemala, Kosovo, Denmark and Ireland.

The Czech Republic also hold a clear advantage in the FIFA rankings, sitting 40th compared to South Africa’s 60th.

The last meeting between these nations ended 2-2 back in 1997, making it largely irrelevant to the current squads.

Considering the recent form of both teams, this looks like a good opportunity for the Czech Republic to get their first points on the board.