Thrilling Triumph: Sweden Secures Opening Victory in Women's World Cup against South Africa
Sweden defeated South Africa 2-1 in their Women's World Cup opener Amanda Ilestedt scored the winning goal in the 90th minute, following Fridolina Rolfo's fortunate equalizer that canceled out Hildah Magaia's opener
In their Women's World Cup Group G match on Sunday, Sweden secured a 2-1 victory over South Africa thanks to Amanda Ilestedt's winning goal in the 90th minute. Prior to Ilestedt's goal, Fridolina Rolfo's fortunate equalizer had nullified Hildah Magaia's opener. Despite the pouring rain in the New Zealand capital, Ilestedt managed to outjump her opponents and successfully score, salvaging her team's pride after struggling against the African champions for the majority of the first hour of the match.
Sweden, ranked third, emerged as the leaders of their group following the outcome of the game against South Africa. The Swedish team faced a tough challenge but progressively improved their performance throughout the match. Although the second half showcased their enhanced play, the ultimate measure of success is securing a victory in the opening game, stated Ilestedt.
South Africa, who ranked 54th, sought their inaugural World Cup triumph in their second outing at the tournament. In the previous edition held in 2019, they were unable to secure a single point and were eliminated in the group stage.
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South Africa's Hildah Magaia scored the opening goal
In the first half, the team successfully held off their stronger opponents. Despite Sweden's control of possession, they were unable to capitalize on their opportunities, allowing our team to counterattack effectively. Captain Refiloe Jane made an impressive long-range attempt, but it unfortunately sailed over the crossbar. On the other hand, Sweden struggled to create any significant scoring opportunities, with Filippa Angeldal's weak attempt being the only shot on goal that was easily saved by the goalkeeper.
Zecira Musovic managed to block Thembi Kgatlana's shot, but Magaia seized the opportunity from the rebound and swiftly maneuvered the ball past Sweden defender Jonna Andersson, propelling it over the line just two minutes into the second half. This impressive move resulted in South Africa notching their second goal of the World Cup.
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South African players celebrate after going ahead against Sweden
In the 66th minute, Johanna Rytting Kaneryd's cross took an unexpected deflection off defender Lebohang Ramalepe and bounced off Rolfo into the net, giving the Swedes a lifeline.
Despite Peter Gerhardsson's side's efforts to secure a victory, South Africa's determined defensive play prevented them from succeeding until Ilestedt scored a powerful header from Kosovare Asllani's corner.
"We find ourselves in these situations often, where things just don't seem to work out," Gerhardsson stated.
"We purposely won the match through a set-piece, and this was not a random occurrence. We dedicate a significant amount of time practicing these scenarios."
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What is the schedule?
Sweden has taken the lead in their group, setting the stage for an exciting start to the tournament. This remarkable achievement comes just before the other opening game scheduled for Monday.The group stage, which spans a duration of two weeks, is set to conclude on August 3. Teams that secure the top two positions in their group will advance to the round of 16, scheduled to take place from August 5 to August 8.
The quarter-final matches are set to take place on August 11 and 12 in Wellington, Auckland, Brisbane, and Sydney. Following that, the first semi-final is scheduled for August 15 in Auckland, while the second semi-final will be held on August 16 at Accor Stadium in Sydney. The final match will be hosted at Accor Stadium on August 20.
A third-place play-off will be played the day before the final on August 19 in Brisbane.
