The article predicts a victory for South Africa against Lesotho in the World Cup qualifiers, emphasizing South Africa’s strong recent form and historical performance. Suggested bets include a -1 handicap for South Africa, no goals for Lesotho, and the first half being the most productive scoring period. Lesotho’s struggles with scoring are highlighted, indicating a likely one-sided match outcome.
This article provides predictions for the upcoming World Cup qualifying match between South Africa and Lesotho. South Africa is projected to win against Lesotho with a likely scoreline of 2-0. Suggested bets include South Africa winning with a -1 handicap at odds of 1.81, winning while preventing Lesotho from scoring at odds of 1.72, and betting on the first half being the highest-scoring half at odds of 3.00, primarily due to the teams’ recent performances.
Both teams have recently engaged in four rounds of action in the CAF qualifiers. South Africa boasts a notable history, having last qualified for a World Cup in 2002 and only once as hosts in 2010. In contrast, Lesotho, who has never qualified for a World Cup and currently ranks 149 by FIFA, faces a substantial challenge in the qualifiers. Despite being the underdogs, Lesotho has earned five points from four matches, exceeding expectations.
South Africa is currently in strong form, remaining unbeaten over their last 16 matches across all competitions. They have achieved two victories at home in their qualifying campaign so far and have won five out of their last seven international fixtures, often by margins of two or more goals. This solid performance positions them favorably against Lesotho, with a notable past record of seven wins in their last 13 encounters, including a 4-0 victory in their last meeting.
Despite Lesotho’s initial successes in the qualifiers, their matches have generally been low in goal counts. Recent fixtures have not seen both teams score, with three out of their four qualifier games resulting in a similar outcome. This trend persists when looking at their previous internationals, where typically neither team has found the net.
Additionally, stats reveal that Lesotho has only managed to score in a few recent away qualifiers, further illustrating their struggling offense. Conversely, only two of South Africa’s last six home qualifiers featured both teams scoring, underscoring South Africa’s defensive strength. Therefore, many analysts suggest Lesotho may find it challenging to score in this match.
The first-half performance is also under scrutiny, considering Lesotho’s historical difficulty in scoring before halftime. They have managed to score in just three of their last fourteen qualifiers. Meanwhile, South Africa’s solid defensive record, having conceded only once in their past five home qualifiers, compounds these challenges. Notably, the first half has been the higher-scoring half in many of South Africa’s recent matches, despite Lesotho’s recent poor form in front of goal.
In summary, South Africa is favored to win decisively against Lesotho in their upcoming qualifier, with a history of strong performances and an impressive unbeaten streak. Suggested bets reflect their expected dominance, including a focus on South Africa preventing Lesotho from scoring. The data indicates that both teams scoring is improbable, especially considering prior encounters and recent performance trends. Overall, this match presents a significant challenge for Lesotho as they face a much stronger South African side.
Original Source: www.goal.com
