Czech Republic vs South Africa Prediction: Soucek to produce 11/1 speciality

South Africa got the 2026 FIFA World Cup underway in Mexico City last Thursday, taking on co-hosts Mexico at the Estadio Azteca, but it was a chastening experience for Bafana Bafana as they were beaten 2-0 and had two players sent off. The Czech Republic also got off to a losing start in Group A, suffering a 2-1 defeat to South Korea, despite taking the lead in Zapopan.

Below are my Czech Republic vs South Africa predictions, supported by all the latest team news and match odds, ahead of Thursday's game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia (12pm local, 5pm BST, BBC One).

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Team News

Miroslav Koubek could make a couple of changes to his starting XI following last week's loss to South Korea.

Goalscorer and captain Ladislav Krejci is assured of his spot in defence, while Patrik Schick should get the nod to lead the line again, despite struggling to influence the game against the Taeguk Warriors, but others are less certain of their places.

Adam Hlozek, Michal Sadilek and Mojmir Chytil were among Koubek's second-half substitutes at the Estadio Akron and all three are in contention for starts on Thursday.

World Cup Odds

As for South Africa, midfielders Yaya Sithole and Themba Zwane are suspended following their dismissals against Mexico. The latter was only a second-half substitute against El Tri, but Sithole will need to be replaced in Bafana Bafana's starting XI.

Hugo Broos could bring in Thalente Mbatha for Sithole, while Oswin Appollis, Tshepang Moremi and Relebohile Mofokeng are others vying for promotions from the bench.

Head-to-head record

The Czech Republic and South Africa have played each other once before, at the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where they exchanged four goals in a 2-2 draw.

Czech Republic vs South Africa Odds

The Czech Republic are 8/13 favourites, implying a 61.9% probability of success, with South Africa 18/5, or a 21.7% chance, and the draw offered at 13/5.

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Player 3+ Shots (Sub Switch) - Teboho Mokoena (ZAF) @ 6/1

South Africa midfielder Teboho Mokoena, like most of his teammates, was kept quiet by Mexico last Thursday, with Bafana Bafana managing just three shots in total, none of which were taken by the Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder.

The 29-year-old was the only one of the starting five midfielders/attackers to play the duration of the match in Mexico City, which offers encouragement that he will begin Thursday's game.

Mokoena averaged 1.9 shots per game for the Sundowns in the 2025/26 South African Premier League, scoring four times in 23 appearances (18 starts), while at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, played between December 2025 and January 2026, he averaged 2.8 shots per game, recording at least three efforts in all but one of his four outings.

Remarkably, all 11 of his shots at the AFCON came from outside the 18-yard box, although if you kept tabs on the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, that statistic wouldn't surprise you.

Mokoena shot eight times across the Sundowns' three group games in the USA last summer, registering four and three attempts against Ulsan HD and Borussia Dortmund, respectively, before taking just one against Fluminense as he was taken off at half-time. Once again, all eight of his shots were taken from outside of the penalty area.

South Africa struggled desperately to create clear-cut chances against Mexico, with long-range efforts looking like their most dangerous weapon. Two of their three shots came from outside the box, and both hit the target.

Broos' side may be forced to try their luck from distance again on Thursday, with Mokoena looking to get involved this time. The Czechs conceded 15 shots to South Korea in their opening group game, and a third (five) were taken from outside of the 18-yard box, with Son Heung-min responsible for a couple of them.

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Player to Score a Header - Tomas Soucek (CZE) @ 11/1

South Africa conceded three headed shots to Mexico, with one, by Raul Jimenez, resulting in a goal for El Tri.

The Czech Republic, meanwhile, shot seven times in defeat to South Korea, and three of those efforts were headers; two hit the target, with one, from Krejci, putting Koubek's charges ahead.

West Ham United midfielder Tomas Soucek, standing at 6ft 4in, thought he had put his country in the lead again in the 77th minute, heading in Michal Sadilek's free-kick, only for his strike to be disallowed due to offside.

The 31-year-old scored six times for West Ham across all competitions in the 2025/26 season, and two of his goals came from his head, with another from his chest.

Soucek's last three goals for the Czech Republic have come from his head, and at 11/1, he looks a good bet to nod one in again on Thursday.

There isn't much height in South Africa's squad, and of the 10 outfielders that started against Mexico, only two, Ime Okon (6ft 2in) and Sithole (6ft 1in), were six foot and above, and the latter is suspended for his country's second group game.