Czechia v South Africa: World Cup – live | World Cup 2026

27 min We’re away again, SA right back on to the attack and Appollis punching a good straight pass into Rayners, on the edge. But when he spins and squares, Mbatha can’t collect, so the move breaks down.

24 min “What is salad cream? Signed, America,” emails Charles Pearson.

Something on to which it’d be difficult to melt cheese, so I can understand why it’s unfamiliar Stateside.

23 min Time for a Bovril break, the crowd booing righteously. Good, the more Fifa hear of that the better, except the relevant suits are probably watching the ads.

22 min It’s just occurred to me that, excited to even consider salad cream, I neglected to wish Bob’s wife better, so let’s do that now. Meantime, SA continue probing, Kovar thrashing forward to no one when their latest attack founders.

20 min I’m not sure if Czechia planned to sit back if they scored, if they’re doing it feart to lose what they have, or if SA are pushing them back; my sense is the second, with a bit of the third. But they looked much better when pushing the pace.

18 min Not that long ago, Anya Hindmarch sold salad cream ice cream. It wasn’t that good.

17 min “Salad cream, Daniel?” intones a disappointed Charles Antaki. “Please tell us you were teasing. If not, then well done for giving it up – the prodigal son and all that – but what were you thinking? Crown Paints Sahara Beige, with added sugar.”

I like excessive tastes – sour, spicy, tangy – and salad cream is the latter. If I’m picking one condiment to slap on a slice of toast, that’s my one.

15 min SA enjoy possession, which makes them more cultured than me – I couldn’t get on with S Byatt’s prose, at all – and move the ball right, Modiba into Adams, who spreads to Mudau. And the cross is a goodun, Rayners charging towards it and leaping, but able only to shin wide.

13 min The corner is poor and when the ball comes to Modiba, 1,623 yards out, he takes aim, and fires somewhere towards Maine.

12 min SA have realised there’s a game on, and that they’re in it. They get the ball wide down the right, Maseko moving it infield to Appollis, who shoots from 25, there’s a deflection … and the net ripples. But because the effort brushed the side and roof, not because it’s in.

11 min “An unhealthy diet of football,” reckons Bob O’Hara. “I’m sat here with my wife in hospital watching the match and she just suggested this is the mustard & ketchup match.”

Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I love mustard and ketchup, all the more so since I quit salad cream.

9 min My screen crashes, but Czechia have started well – they’re passing and moving really nicely, and now SA have a bit of the ball their defensive shape blankets the attack in no time.

7 min That was a really lovely goal, but SA only had one man back; once again, I’m not at all sure what they’re trying to accomplish.

That was coming because, once again, SA have started like they’d rather be home. Coufal takes a throw quickly, hurling low and towards the by-line for Hlozek, who sweeps back to the edge. Mudau might do better to cut it out, but the touch from Sojka, who might shoot, but instead slips a dainty pass around the defender, allowing Sadilek to power a dink over Williams’ dive.

5 min Williams comes for the corner, doesn’t get to the ball, and when the ball falls to Sadilek on the edge, he’s relieved the shot is off target.

5 min Sadilek swings over to Coufal, pulling out of the box on the far side, and his volley back in is knocked behind for a corner.

3 min Czechia, though, have started fairly well, quickly winning a corner … which comes to nothing. But they build again, Darida showing nice feet to invite the challenge and win the free-kick, 30 yards out, left of centre.

1 min Immediately, Cerv spreads wide, then Sojka spoons over a cross … and when no defender cuts it out, suddenly Schick has a free header at the back post! But it’s as though he can’t believe it’s happening, or even allowed for him to be so alone, so he nods a tame effort that’s barely an effort at all, into the ground, and Williams saves. That was a great chance, it fell to who Czechia would’ve wanted it to … and nothing.

1 min Hold tight Tori Penso, only the second woman to ref a men’s World Cup match; she gets us going.

“Czechia v South Africa, could be a dogs breakfast,” enthuses Mary Waltz. “But if one of these wins today they have a chance at the knockout round. Some complain about the expanded roster but in the old set up I would probably skip this fixture. Poor teams playing desperate football can be entertaining.”

It’s hard to grouse about the expanded field because it gives us the teams riding the phattest buzz to be involved, which can deliver amazing moments and matches. And ultimately, many of us are hopeless football addicts, delighted to guzzle our fix wherever we find it, meaning more is more.

I wonder how Sphephelo Sithole is getting on – he had the mare of mares last time out, culpable in Mexico’s first goal before getting sent off. I hope he’s managed to assimilate it into his being and move on.

Anthem time…

The Atlanta roof is closed and the aircon on. Maybe they’ll hydrate with Bovril.

Ah, our teams are tunnelled … and here they come!

I’m a little surprised Czechia have left out Soucek, whose set-piece presence has always been a big part of their attacking threat. Hlozek, who’s come in, is also a big lad, but its not just about height but attacking the ball and anticipating where it might drop – at which Soucek is a master.

On BBC, Benni McCarthy was just saying that in SA, people were mainly disappointed by the negativity. And he’s not wrong – I’m sure this wasn’t the plan, and can understand that an opening match, against the host, in the Azteca, is a daunting proposition, but it looked like they turned up hoping not to get splattered, rather than believing they’d win.

How good was this? It’s so great to get that kind of insight and honesty – then know it’s been effectively communicated because the response was so intense.

My best guess is England’s defence costs them eventually – and much as I think Thomas Tuchel is excellent, the back four he picked isn’t, for mine, the best one he could’ve picked – but in midfield, they can compete with anyone, and their attacking options are also up with everyone bar France’s.

Where is the game? Czechia will, I think, look to dominate midfield, looking to get the ball forward quickly then hit Hlozek and Schick with crosses or ball to feet for an up, back and through, one of them holding the ball before laying it off for it to go forward again.

South Africa, meanwhile, will look for quick counters, especially in behind the wingers and down the outside of the outside centre backs, with Adams and Mokoena making third-man runs beyonds Rayners and into the box.

Email! “This is a bittersweet game for me,” confesses John Brennan. “When the draw was made in December, this was the most likely game that I could get to see Ireland play. I probably couldn’t have pulled off going to Mexico but getting from NY to Atlanta would have been reasonable. The stadium would have been packed with Irish fans between Irish living here on the East Coast and people travelling. Just thinking about it makes me wistful. What if Ryan Manning didn’t give away that stupid penalty, what if Parrott had scored that chance in the second half, what if Sammy Smzodics hadn’t been taken out of it and had been able to take a penalty instead of Alan Browne. And yeah if all those things had happened and Ireland beat Czechia, it would probably be Denmark playing today.

Anyway, I have a strange feeling South Africa might show up today and make it difficult for the Czechs or maybe that is just a coping mechanism for me.”

I feel you – but the buzz of those Parrott goals to get to there will never leave you.

Who wants a bit of Mike Costello? Do I hear a hells to the yeah?!

South Africa, meanwhile, are without Sithole and Zwane, sent off against Mexico; left our are Sibisi and Foster, with Mbatha, Maseko and Rayners coming in. They move from the 5-3-2 which put them under pressure last week to a far more natural 4-3-3.

A strange change from Czechia, who add Holes to their defence – he replaces Chaloupek – while Soucek, Zeleny, Provod and Sulc also drop out. Others to come in are Sadilek, Darida, Cerv and Hlozsek; Miroslav Koubek must’ve seriously disliked what he saw. I also think there’ll be a formation change from 3-4-3 to 3-5-2.

Before we look at those teams, also going on:

Czechia (3-5-2): Kovar; Hranac, Holes, Krejci; Coufal, Sadilek, Darida, Cerv, Sojka; Hlozek, Schick. Subs: Chaloupek, Chory, Chytil, Doudera, Hornicek, Kuchta, Provod, Sochurek, Soucek, Stanek, Visinksy, Zeleny, Zima, Sulc.

South Africa (4-3-3): Williams; Mudau, Okon, Mbokzai, Modiba; Mokoena, Mbatha, Adams; Maseko, Rayners, Appollis. Subs: Chaine, Cross, Foster, Goss, Kabini, Makgopa, Makhanya, Mataludi, Mofokeng, Moremi, Ndamane, Sebelebele, Sibisi.

Referee: Tori Penso (USA)

Mike Costello, the legendary boxing commentator, tells a story of when he was fresh in the game, an old pro heard him getting dead excited calling a fight that wasn’t Hagler-Hearns, so issued some advice: always leave yourself somewhere to go.

For those of us involved in a similar kind of thing, this is an important lesson, but one easier grasped than lived – especially during the World Cup and even more so during this World Cup. How not to unload the suitcase – and why not unload the suitcase – when Curaçao equalise against Germany, Cape Verde force a draw with Spain and DRC equalise against then draw with Portugal? For them – and so for us, sport being the experience of living your life through others – this is their Hagler-Hearns, so it makes more sense to trust you’ll find somewhere to go than not turn up somewhere you desperately need to be.

Which is to say we’ve enjoyed a sensational first week and round of football – but Czechia and South Africa have not, enduing the respective agonies of a soul-crushing late winner conceded and a total no-show dropped. But the structure of the competition is in their favour, a defeat today terminal for neither – though with final-round matches against Mexico and South Korea upcoming, a win feels essential for both.

Kick-off: 12pm local and EDT, 5pm BST, 2am AEST