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Argentina Seeks First Women’s World Cup Victory Against South Africa

Introduction

Argentina’s women’s national football team faces off against South Africa in their second Group G match of the Women’s World Cup. With both teams hungry for a win after their respective defeats in the opening matches, this promises to be an exciting clash. Argentina, ranked 28th in the world, is desperate to secure their first victory in the tournament, while South Africa, ranked 54th, aims to secure their first point in Women’s World Cup history.

The Elusive Milestone

Argentina’s women’s team has yet to win a Women’s World Cup match in their ten attempts, with eight defeats and two draws. This match against South Africa presents their best chance yet to achieve this elusive milestone. Having been narrowly beaten 1-0 by Italy in their opener, Argentina needs three points from this match to keep their hopes of progressing to the knockout stage alive.

South Africa is also in a similar position, having been defeated 2-1 by Sweden. The South African team pushed the third-ranked European nation to the brink, only to be defeated in the 90th minute. With both teams coming away from their first matches empty-handed, the hunger to win will be evident on both sides.

Key Factors and Predictions

Considering the performance of both teams against stronger opponents in their first matches, a draw will not satisfy either team. Argentina, although not particularly prolific against Italy, showed promise in their ability to progress the ball forward and create offensive opportunities. If they can involve their star player, Atletico Madrid winger Estefania Banini, in more attacking areas, their chances of finding the back of the net will increase.

The match between Argentina and South Africa is expected to be closely contested, with both teams eager to secure their first victory in the tournament. Argentina holds a slight advantage in terms of rankings, but recent performances have shown that rankings alone do not guarantee success. Given the hunger and determination exhibited by both teams in their opening matches, a draw seems unlikely.

Score Prediction: Argentina 2-0 South Africa

Best Bet: Argentina to Keep a Clean Sheet

Argentina’s defensive record coming into the Women’s World Cup has been impressive, having conceded just a single goal in their last six matches. In their opener against Italy, they kept their opponents at bay, limiting them to just four shots on target. Against a defensively strong Swedish team, South Africa did manage to find the net but capitalized on avoidable mistakes. Therefore, Argentina’s ability to keep a clean sheet against South Africa seems feasible.

Best Bet Pick: Argentina to keep a clean sheet (Odds: +115)

Prop Bet: Under 3.5 Yellow Cards

Both teams accumulated bookings in their opening matches, with Argentina collecting four and South Africa receiving two. However, Argentina’s high number of bookings was uncharacteristic, as they had only received three cautions in total in the 2019 Women’s World Cup. Players will be cautious not to receive a second yellow card and risk suspension for the next group game. Additionally, the referee, Anna-Marie Keighley, officiated two games in the previous Women’s World Cup and showed only four yellow cards in total. With the women’s game generally having fewer bookings than the men’s, it is reasonable to expect that the number of yellow cards in this match will be under 3.5.

Prop Bet Pick: Under 3.5 yellow cards (Odds: 4/5)

How to Watch

Fans can catch the Argentina vs South Africa match via the following channels and streaming platforms:

– USA: Fox Sports 1, Universo, Fubo, Peacock, Universo NOW, and the Fox Sports app.
– Canada: TSN1, TSN3, TSN4, TSN5, RDS, TSN+, and the RDS app.
– UK: ITV1, STV Scotland, UTV, ITVX, and the STV Player.
– Australia: Optus Sport.
– New Zealand: Sky Sport 1, Sky Sport NOW, and the Sky GO app.
– India: DD Sports and FanCode.
– Hong Kong: NOW Sports Prime.
– Singapore: meWATCH and FIFA WWC CH01.

Conclusion

Argentina and South Africa’s clash in the Women’s World Cup offers both teams the opportunity to achieve significant milestones. As Argentina looks to secure their first victory in the tournament and South Africa aims to earn their first point, the match promises excitement and intensity. With rankings aside, the hunger and determination displayed by these teams in their previous matches indicate a closely contested affair. Whether Argentina’s defence can keep the South African attack at bay and if South Africa can capitalize on offensive opportunities remains to be seen, but both teams will be fighting for victory on the day.