- After losing their opening group matches, both teams need a victory to keep knockout hopes alive.
The second round of the group matches at the 2026 World Cup begins on Thursday as Czechia face South Africa in Group A in Atlanta.
Despite scoring first in their tournament opener, the Czechs suffered a 2-1 defeat to South Korea in Guadalajara, Mexico, while South Africa faced a similar fate. Their nine-man side fell 2-0 to cohosts Mexico in a chaotic contest in Mexico City.
As they fly to the United States, both bruised teams will hope to bounce back and stay in the hunt for the knockout stages at the 48-team tournament.
Stats provider Opta’s supercomputer has given Czechia a 54.9 per cent probability of winning this fixture. South Africa has a 21.8 per cent chance, while there is a 23.3 per cent probability of a draw.
Kickoff time is 16:00 GMT.
Watch a livestream of the match in the video below.
