Bafana Bafana will return to the World Cup for the first time since they hosted the event in 2010. This will be a tournament of redemption, creating legacies and showcasing South African flair on football’s biggest stage.
Drawn in Group A alongside co-hosts Mexico, South Korea and the Czech Republic, Bafana are widely regarded as the underdogs in the group, particularly due to their FIFA world ranking of 60th. But that hasn’t deterred them one bit.
Rather, coach Hugo Broos has already stated that he’s pleased with the “underdog” tag, which will give his side ample freedom. That’s why they’ll head into their opening game of the tournament against Mexico at the Azteca Stadium on June 11 with nothing to lose.
Given all that, SuperSportBet has put together “SA World Cup Specials” in its outright markets, giving the Bafana faithful a chance to put their heads on the block and predict how the team will fare during the tournament and the group stage.
Bafana Bafana Top Goalscorer Market
Under the outright markets, SuperSportBet first looked at South Africa’s Tournament Top Goalscorer, starting from the group stage right through to their final game in the showpiece.
Lyle Foster leads the pack with odds of 5.00. While he may have experienced confidence and weight concerns, he’s still expected to lead Bafana’s line in the Americas due to his experience with now-relegated English Premier League (EPL) side Burnley.
As such, when he was booed in Bafana’s final preparation match against Nicaragua on home soil, many experts and former Bafana players echoed the same sentiment: he must use that as motivation heading into the World Cup.
Behind Foster is Oswin Appollis at 8.00 odds. The attacker has enjoyed an impressive international career under Broos, scoring nine goals and registering eight assists in 25 matches – a goal contribution tally he’ll be eager to add to in America.
Group A Scoring Trends And Progression Odds
While Broos has stressed in the past that Bafana lack a lethal goal poacher, there is ample belief that South Africa Can Score in Every Group A Match. SuperSportBet supports that with odds of 5.00.
Bafana’s return to the competition also presents a new target as they aim to reach the knockout stage for the first time in four tournaments. Given the expansion of the tournament, with 32 of the 48 teams progressing, Broos has said it is highly possible for them to achieve that goal.
The Belgian stressed that collecting just three points, which SuperSportBet has priced at 5.00 for South Africa Exact Group A Points, could be enough to earn them a place in the knockout rounds as one of the eight best third-placed teams.
While Bafana will still be underdogs, there is faith on South Africa to Win a Group A Match. SuperSportBet has backed that up with odds of 1.95, while the team is priced at 2.25 to Qualify from Group A.
Continental Outlook And Goals Overview
After automatically qualifying for the World Cup by finishing top of their group, Bafana arrived at the tournament as one of Africa’s strongest representatives among the continent’s 10 participants. However, given their lengthy absence from the competition, that could count against them. SuperSportBet has duly placed odds of 17.00 on them finishing as The Top African Team in the Tournament.
Granted, Bafana may not boast a lethal striking unit, but there is hope they will be clinical in the group stage, especially after a free-scoring domestic campaign from some of their attackers, including Relebohile Mofokeng, who reached double figures for the first time during Orlando Pirates’ title-winning Betway Premiership season.
That’s why betting on the team to score at least Over 2.5 Goals During the Tournament, at odds of 1.40, is a realistic option.
Lastly, Bafana have a chance to create history by Winning Every Group Stage Match. It won’t be easy, but it is possible, especially if they can get off the mark by beating Mexico in the opener. SuperSportBet has placed odds of 35.00 on them achieving that feat.
Find the rest of the SA World Cup Specials odds on SuperSportBet here: SuperSportBet
