Key events
How are The Guardian’s pre-tournament predictions looking after a few matches?
Struggling to keep up with all the World Cup action? Fear not, Women’s Football Weekly has you covered in podcast form.
The on-field officials today are all from the USA. Ekaterina Koroleva will blow the whistle, and talk to the crowd. Kathryn Nesbitt and Felisha Mariscal will run the line.
South Africa’s team building sessions look fun.
Sweden’s game faces are strong.
Desiree Ellis has just given an interesting interview to the world feed broadcaster, indicating she has selected goalkeeper Kaylin Swart ahead of the expected Andile Dlamini because she’s concerned about the wintry conditions and plumped for the shot-stopper who can send the ball furthest downfield.
If your idea of a World Cup is a sunkissed tournament in the northern hemisphere summer, this is going to come as a major shock to the system. It is midwinter on this stopping point to Antarctica, and Wellington, a famously windy city is blustery and cold on this Sunday afternoon. Temperatures are around 10C (50F) with a northerly breeze not helping matters. Showers are always on the cards here, with more persistent rain probable late in the piece.
As Firdose Moonda writes, the story of South Africa coach Desiree Ellis is the story of the growth of women’s football.
When Desiree Ellis earned her first international cap, she also lost her day job. It was May 1993 and Ellis, now the head coach of the South Africa team preparing for their second World Cup, was picked as part of the first squad of players to represent their country in a women’s football match. They were up against their neighbours Swaziland (now Eswatini) in a Sunday fixture in Johannesburg. Ellis travelled the 780 miles from her home in Cape Town by bus, a journey which took around 18 hours and was one of the stars of a dominant performance for the Banyana Banyana.
She scored a hat-trick in a 14-0 win and celebrated briefly with her teammates before making the trip back in time for the work week. On the way, “we got a puncture, and it took us some time to get it fixed”, she tells Moving the Goalposts. The delay meant Ellis arrived late to the butchery where she mixed spices for a living. “When I got there, they told me I had absconded and I was fired. After that, I was out of work for three years.”
Two stunning kits on display this afternoon. Sweden are in their traditional yellow strip with blue trim, South Africa are top to toe in black. Coincidentally, yellow and black are the colours of the local professional teams here in Wellington, including the Phoenix in the A-League, and the Hurricanes in Super rugby.
Yanga Sibembe provides background on South Africa.
Playing on the counter, the team will depend on the incisive passing of players such as Linda Motlhalo and Sassuolo’s Refiloe Jane in midfield. Centre-back Bambanani Mbane also possesses the ability to ignite a counterattack from defence.
That’s where the speed of Racing Louisville striker Thembi Kgatlana, Mexico-based Jermaine Seoposenwe, plus Hildah Magaia and Noxolo Cesane will come into play. If the South Africans are to spring a surprise or two in a group containing Sweden, Italy and Argentina, these players will have to be effective when chances arise.
Learn about Sweden and their expectations with Amanda Zaza.
The third-best team in the world should be fighting for silverware. However, some of Sweden’s key players such as Seger, Rolfö, Ilestedt, Hurtig and Asllani have struggled with injuries during the spring. And the draw looks tough, with the USA or the Netherlands likely waiting in the last 16.
South Africa XI
Desiree Ellis has been able to select from a fully fit squad, so that means starts for the speedy Thembi Kgatlana up front, and the quality pairing of Linda Motlhalo and Refiloe Jane in midfield. Keep an eye out for Bambanani Mbane to ignite counterattacks out of defence.
Sweden XI
Peter Gerhardsson has gone for a 4-3-3 system, captained by Milan’s Kosovare Asllani, with veteran Caroline Seger still nursing her calf injury on the bench. Despite niggling injuries throughout the squad, there is bags of experience and class, especially in attack, in the form of Barcelona’s Fridolina Rolfö, Arsenal’s Stina Blackstenius, and Chelsea’s Johanna Rytting Kaneryd. That trio are keeping out Lina Hurtig, top-scorer during qualifying.
VM-premiärelvan är här! 🔥
✔️ Musovic i mål
✔️ Asllani lagkapten
✔️ Tre VM-debutanter från start#SWE | #FIFAWWC— Svensk Fotboll (@svenskfotboll) July 23, 2023
This is a germane pennant.
Preamble
Jonathan Howcroft
Hello everybody and welcome to live coverage of Sweden v South Africa from Wellington Regional Stadium. Kick-off in this World Cup Group G opener is 5pm local/3pm AEST/6am BST.
When the draw was made in October last year this fixture appeared a run-of-the-mill World Cup mismatch. Then second-ranked Sweden, who finished third in France 2019, against 54th-ranked South Africa appearing at the finals for only the second time, and with only one goal to their name. Eight months on, and the picture does not seem so straightforward.
If the opening matches of this World Cup have demonstrated a pattern, it’s the defensive resilience of the underdogs, and the lack of cutting edge of the major contenders. On a chilly day in New Zealand-Aotearoa, at a stadium notorious for its challenging playing conditions, Banyana Banyana loom as a banana skin for the Blågult.
Sweden do not have strong form to draw confidence from. Their last nine matches include three draws and three defeats – two of which were comprehensive 4-0 thumpings at the hands of Australia and England. The latter was at the semi-final stage of Euro 2022, during which the Swedes underwhelmed.
South Africa have also suffered some heavy defeats in recent months, notably 3-0 and 6-0 reverses against Brazil, and a 4-1 loss to Australia. But they do have the belief that comes with lifting the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, their first continental success. Their run to the trophy was built on a formidable defence.
“When we played Wafcon, we were focusing on that task of winning it,” goalkeeper Andile Dlamini said. “Now it’s a different task. We have to put Wafcon aside and understand it’s 11 people versus another 11. You can’t go there with the cockiness [of being African champions].”
I’ll be back with team news and insights from the two camps shortly. If you want to get in touch at any point you can always send me an email.
