Attention now turns to Atlanta, where Bafana Bafana face a crucial Group A showdown against Czechia on Thursday.

In Dallas, England produced one of the performances of the tournament so far with an entertaining 4-2 victory over Croatia in Group L. Captain Harry Kane led from the front with two goals as the Three Lions laid down an early marker in their pursuit of their first World Cup success since 1966. The match was played at a relentless tempo, with Thomas Tuchel’s side showing their attacking quality and depth against a resilient Croatian outfit.

In the same group, the Black Stars of Ghana snatched a dramatic 1-0 win over Panama in Toronto thanks to a stoppage-time strike from Caleb Yirenkyi. The late goal earned the Black Stars a valuable three points and an early boost in their bid to reach the knockout stages.

One of the biggest stories of the day came in Group K, where the Democratic Republic of Congo stunned Portugal by holding them to a 1-1 draw in Houston. Portugal looked on course for victory after João Neves opened the scoring within six minutes, but Yoane Wissa levelled matters before half-time. DR Congo then produced a disciplined defensive display to secure a memorable result against one of Europe’s traditional powerhouses. Veteran forward Cristiano Ronaldo, playing in a record sixth World Cup, found little room against a determined Congolese defence.

The draw leaves Group K finely balanced after Colombia opened their campaign with a convincing 3-1 victory over World Cup newcomers Uzbekistan in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Colombia’s experience proved decisive as they claimed maximum points to move to the summit of the group standings.

Earlier, Austria made a strong start to their Group J campaign with a comfortable 3-1 win over Jordan. The Austrians controlled the contest for long periods and rarely looked troubled as they collected all three points.

With the first week of the expanded 48-team tournament now complete, the World Cup continues to deliver compelling storylines. Nations such as DR Congo and Cape Verde have already shown they can compete with the game’s traditional giants, keeping the race for the knockout rounds wide open.

South Africa will be under the spotlight on Thursday when they take on Czechia in a pivotal Group A clash in Atlanta.

Bafana Bafana began their campaign with a disappointing 2-0 defeat to hosts Mexico, while Czechia fell 2-1 to South Korea. As a result, both teams head into the encounter desperate to get points on the board, with another defeat likely to leave their hopes of reaching the Round of 32 hanging by a thread.

Hugo Broos’ men will be looking for an improved display after their opening setback. A victory would put South Africa firmly back in contention ahead of their final group match against South Korea, while a draw would still leave plenty of work to be done in the closing round of fixtures.

Elsewhere on Thursday, Switzerland meet Bosnia and Herzegovina in Los Angeles in Group B, Canada take on Qatar in Vancouver, and Mexico face South Korea in Guadalajara in what promises to be a fascinating battle for top spot in Group A. Mexico can book their place in the knockout rounds with another win, while South Korea will be aiming to build on their successful start to the tournament.

Morgan Piek OFM Sport