Group E winners Netherlands will face off against surprise Group G runners-up South Africa in the round of 16 on Saturday evening, with kickoff set for 10 p.m. ET from Allianz Stadium in Sydney. You can catch all the action on Fox or via livestream on foxsports.com and the Fox Sports App.
Here’s everything you need to know for the match, along with odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Netherlands v. South Africa
Date: Saturday, August 5
Time: 10 p.m. ET
TV Channel: Fox
Live stream: Foxsports.com, Fox Sports App, Peacock
Odds, picks & predictions
Netherlands: -650
Draw: +700
South Africa: +1200
Moneyline pick: Netherlands -650
Look, I want so badly to pick South Africa to win here, but I think their road may come to an end in their first-ever round of 16 appearance. I picked them to beat Italy in the group stage finale, but now that they’re running into a team as strong as the Netherlands I don’t think they’ll have much of a chance to advance any further. It’s just their second time in the FIFA women’s World Cup, with their first foray in 2019 ending in heartbreak after losing all three matches in the group stage. This time around, they’ve shocked the world with not only their first WWC win, but their first-ever trip to the knockout rounds.
Banyana Banyana looked to be headed for another group stage exit as they were deadlocked 2-2 with Italy heading into stoppage time in their finale on Wednesday morning. The Italian side would have advanced with four points while South Africa would have stayed on two, finishing in third place. Two minutes into stoppage time, striker Thembi Kgatlana found the back of the net at the perfect time, lifting her side to a late stunning 3-2 win over Italy and booking a spot in the round of 16.
The Netherlands handled Group E without too much trouble, finishing in first place with seven points. They got out to a decent start with a 1-0 win over Portugal, followed by a 1-1 draw with the reigning champs USA. Their 7-0 rout over Vietnam sealed the deal and showed what their attack can really do in lopsided situations. Manchester City midfielder Jill Roord leads the team with three goals in the tournament with Esmee Brugts just behind her with two.
While I love a good upset, I’m backing the Dutch side to get the win here and advance to the quarterfinals. Regardless of the result, it’s been a historical tournament for the South African side and they’ll still have plenty to be proud of even if they head home after this match.