Mokoena's 83rd-Minute Penalty Rescues 1-1 Draw for South Africa Against Czechia

Q: In a must-win clash between two struggling offenses, which nation will find the crucial goal to avoid an early World Cup exit?

Czechia looks more likely to find the decisive goal. The evidence points that way on both form and personnel. Czechia are favored at -125, and Opta’s model gives them the stronger chance of winning. Even in the 2-1 loss to South Korea, they showed more attacking threat than South Africa did in their opener, scoring once and creating problems from set pieces. That matters in a match expected to be tight and low-scoring. South Africa’s biggest issue is attack. Against Mexico they were widely described as blunt, producing very little service for Lyle Foster and almost no end product from Iqraam Rayners. Their task is even harder now because suspended midfielders Yaya Sithole and Themba Zwane remove experience and ball progression from the side, weakening an attack that already struggled to create chances. Czechia also have the clearest match-winner in Patrik Schick. He brings proven finishing at both club and international level, and Czechia’s style suits this kind of pressure game: compact defending, physical play, and heavy reliance on dead-ball situations. With Tomáš Souček’s presence and Pavel Šulc’s creativity, they have more routes to a goal than South Africa. That does not suggest a high-scoring game. The strongest betting and expert view is under 2.5 goals, and a 1-0 or 2-0 Czechia win fits the available evidence best. If one team is going to produce the crucial breakthrough, Czechia is the likelier side.

3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 18

83 minutes in, Teboho Mokoena converted a penalty after Pavel Sulc handled Thapelo Maseko's shot, salvaging South Africa's first point after a 2-0 loss to Mexico.
Czechia had led from the fifth minute when Michal Sadilek finished after Adam Hlozek's break from a throw-in, and they controlled much of a flat game before the late handball.
The draw leaves both teams alive in Group A: South Africa advance with a win over South Korea, while Czechia go through with a victory against Mexico.
South Africa's task is tougher because Mokoena picked up a second yellow card and will miss the South Korea match, even after his late equalizer revived their campaign.