South Africa’s Banyana Banyana have a last chance of joining Nigeria as African team crossing the group stage of the Women’s Word Cup.

A fascinating encounter awaits in Wellington/Te Whanganui-a-Tara as South Africa meet Italy in a Group G match, with the two teams and Argentina competing to join Sweden, who have already qualified for the knockout stage.

In their second match of the 2023 finals against Argentina, South Africa picked up their first-ever point in a FIFA Women’s World Cup match, having lost their previous four matches in the competition.

That point will give them a huge boost in confidence. They are aiming to reach the knockout rounds of the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time and they will need to win this game to have a chance of doing so.

Italy have qualified for the knockout rounds in two of their previous three FIFA Women’s World Cup participations and they can make it three in four with a victory here.

They will, however, have to bounce back from a 5-0 loss at the hands of Sweden last time out. A draw will see them reach the round of 16, as long as Argentina do not beat Sweden in the other match in Group H, though victory will make the other result irrelevant.

• Last meeting:

09/08/2008, Sweden 1-0 Argentina, Women’s Olympic Football Tournament Beijing 2008, Tianjin Olympic Sports Center Stadium, Tianjin (China)

KEY FACTS

• South Africa have lost their previous three FIFA Women’s World Cup matches against European opposition.
• South Africa scored two goals against Argentina in a FIFA Women’s World Cup match for the first time.
• South Africa have scored the first goal in three of their five FIFA Women’s World Cup matches.
• Italy’s only previous FIFA Women’s World Cup match against African opposition was a 1-0 victory against Nigeria in the group stage in 1991.
• Italy have never lost successive matches in the FIFA Women’s World Cup group stage.

SOUTH AFRICA TEAM FACTS

• Overall record: Play5, Win 0, Draw 1, Lost 4, Goals For: 4, Goals Against 12, Goal Difference: -8
• Biggest win: nil
• Biggest defeat:South Africa 0-1Germany (17/06/2019)
• Highest scoring match: 4 goals – Spain 3-1 South Africa (08/06/2019), South Africa 0-4 Germany (17/06/2019)and Argentina 2-2 South Africa (28/07/2023) Most goals scored in a match: 1 – Spain 3-1 South Africa (08/06/2019)/Sweden 2-1 South Africa (23/07/2023)/Argentina 2-2 South Africa (28/07/2023)
• Most goals conceded in a match: 4 – South Africa 0-4 Germany (17/06/2019)
• Most goals scored at a FIFA Women’s World Cup: 3 –2023 (2 matches)
• Fewest goals scored at a FIFA Women’s World Cup: 1 – 2019 (3 matches)
• Most goals conceded at a FIFA Women’s World Cup: 8 – 2019 (3 matches)
• Fewest goals conceded at a FIFA Women’s World Cup: 4 – 2023 (2 matches)

FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP STREAKS

• Successive wins: 0
• Successive defeats: 4 (2019-2023)
• Successive draws: 1 (2023-present)
• Successive matches without a defeat: 1 (2023-present)
• Successive matches without a win: 5 (2019-present)
• Successive matches with a goal scored: 2 (2023-present)
• Successive matches without scoring: 2 (2019)
• Successive clean sheets: 0

ITALY TEAM FACTS

FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP TEAM RECORDS

• Overall record: Play14, Win 7, Draw 1, Lost 6, Goals For 21, Goals Against 17, Goal Difference: 4
• Biggest win: Italy 5-0 Chinese Taipei (17/11/1991), Italy 5-0 Jamaica (14/06/2019)
• Biggest defeat:Italy 0-5Sweden (29/07/2023)
• Highest scoring match: 5 goals – Italy 5-0 Chinese Taipei (17/11/1991), Italy 5-0 Jamaica (14/06/2019), Norway 3-2 Italy (24/11/1991)and Italy 0-5 Sweden (29/07/2023)
• Most goals scored in a match: 5 – Italy 5-0 Chinese Taipei (17/11/1991)/Italy 5-0 Jamaica (14/06/2019)
• Most goals conceded in a match: 5 – Italy 0-5 Sweden (29/07/2023)
• Most goals scored at a FIFA Women’s World Cup: 9 – 2019 (5 matches)
• Fewest goals scored at a FIFA Women’s World Cup: 3 – 1999 (3 matches)
• Most goals conceded at a FIFA Women’s World Cup: 5 – 1991 (4 matches)and 2023-present (2 matches)
• Fewest goals conceded at a FIFA Women’s World Cup: 3 – 1999 (3 matches)

FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP STREAKS

• Successive wins: 3 (1999-2019)
• Successive defeats: 2 (1991)
• Successive draws: 1 (1999)
• Successive matches without a defeat: 3 (1999-2019)
• Successive matches without a win: 4 (1991-1999)
• Successive matches with a goal scored: 3 (1999-2019)
• Successive matches without scoring: 1 (five times, the last time was 2023-present)
• Successive clean sheets: 2 (1991)