South Africa wins 3-2 Women's World Cup match against Italy, earn last-16 spot
Posted : 02 August 2023
South Africa secured a historic victory at the Women's World Cup, claiming a thrilling 3-2 win over Italy in Wellington. Thembi Kgatlana became the hero with a 92nd-minute winner, breaking Italy's hearts after they fought back to level with an Arianna Caruso header.
The match started in Italy's favor as they were awarded a penalty when Karabo Dhlamini fouled Chiara Beccari in the box. Initially ruled as a free-kick, VAR intervened and confirmed the foul occurred inside the penalty area. Caruso calmly converted from the spot, putting Italy in control of their World Cup destiny.
South Africa, determined to make history for their nation, found an equalizer gifted by Italy's Benedetta Orsi, who inadvertently scored an own goal. The match swung in favor of South Africa when Kgatlana played a smart ball through Italy's defense, setting up Hildah Magaia to score.
Italy fought back, and Caruso scored her second goal from a corner, with VAR confirming the goal after a lengthy review. However, South Africa's resilience prevailed, and Magaia set up Kgatlana for the decisive goal, sealing their first-ever World Cup victory.
South Africa's progress has been evident, earning their first World Cup point in the draw against Argentina. Their journey has been remarkable since their disappointing debut in the 2019 tournament, where they lost all three group matches.
With this historic win, South Africa secured a spot in the last 16 and will face Group E winners, the Netherlands, in their upcoming match on Sunday. The victory brought jubilation to the South Africa players, who are now determined to make an impact in the knockout rounds and continue their impressive run in the tournament.
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