Amanda Ilestedt scored in the 89th minute to give Sweden a 2-1 win over South Africa in its Group G opener at the Women’s World Cup and deny South Africa the first major upset of the tournament.
South Africa shocked Sweden when Hildah Migala scored in the 48th minute. But Sweden got on the board in the 64th minute with Fridolina Rolfo’s equaliser. Ilestedt then produced a perfect header from a corner with a minute left to help Sweden escape at the end of an unimpressive opening-game effort.
Sweden were expected to comfortably win the group, and their first match against 54th-ranked South Africa looked to be the easiest. But after a scoreless first half, Sweden came out of the locker room flat and South Africa capitalised with the first goal of the match three minutes after the restart.
Thembi Kgatlana dropped behind the defence and struck a high shot keeper Zecira Musovic could only parry. Migala hurled herself forward with such force she was carried into the goal along with the ball.
Sweden failed to take advantage of a dominant first half in which it had 71 per cent of possession, eight corners and five shots on goal, three on target.
Finally urged into action, Sweden pressed forward and equalised when Johanna Kaneryd’s sweeping cross from the right side missed the head of Stina Blackstenius but fell at the feet of Rolfo and ended in the net.
South Africa played in new all-black uniforms, a departure from its usual green away strip, and the jerseys were a stark contrast to Sweden’s all-gold on a gloomy, rainy evening at Wellington Regional Stadium.
The Banyana Banyana seemed energised and played with a verve that often worried Sweden when it was expressed through sudden, incisive counter-attacks.
The South African players were buoyant after settling a long-standing pay dispute with their national federation, which assured them they will receive the $30,000 Fifa has promised every player at this World Cup. Banyana Banyana players sang and danced as they stepped down from their team bus and made their way to their locker room an hour before the match started.
They sang and danced again as they left the field.
Rain began falling in Wellington about two hours before kick-off and continued steadily, sometimes heavily into the match, glazing the pitch and making it slick in places. The wind, usually omnipresent in Wellington and a factor when Spain met Costa Rica on Friday, was absent, and the harbour which flanks Sky Stadium on its eastern side was glassy.
Sweden built painstakingly from the back and ventured long balls forward on an unexpectedly calm night. It looked most dangerous from set pieces, while South Africa’s menace was in the swiftness with which they turned defence into counter-attacks.
Caroline Seger will start her fifth and final Women’s World Cup on Sunday when Sweden plays South Africa in a Group G match in Wellington.
It will be Seger’s final opportunity to win a World Cup, one of the few gaps on her CV. Her 232 appearances for Sweden are the most for any female player in Europe.
“The World Cup has been my goal all this time. To be there and be able to train and play football again is everything I’ve ever wanted. I’m super-proud of the journey I have had,” Seger said. “It’s about getting the only medal I am missing - to be here with this national team, this is my last chance. I won’t be playing any more World Cups.
“So to be able to hopefully help the team in every way I can to bring home gold would be, of course, a dream come true.”
Seger has two Olympic silver medals and two World Cup bronze medals. Sweden has never missed a Women’s World Cup, but has yet to win a major tournament.
It’s been an emotional journey for her, and she broke down in tears discussing her comeback from injury in time to play in one final tournament. The 38-year-old midfielder has been fighting calf problems and has barely played for club FC Rosengard this year.
Sweden coach Peter Gerhardsson still chose her for the roster, even if there was no guarantee Seger would be fit to play. Seger was a second-half substitute in Sweden’s friendly against Norway in April, but was replaced shortly afterwards because her calf was bothering her.
“When I have felt that I am on the way back, I’ve had something happen that has caused me to back up again. Time runs away,” she said as she started to cry. “I never thought that I would miss so many matches, I didn’t see that coming. It’s been a bad period.”
South Africa, meanwhile, are making their second tournament appearance. The team lost all three of their group games in 2019 and is the lowest-ranked team in a group that includes Argentina and Italy.
South Africa is also a team embroiled in controversy, as its players boycotted a friendly this month in a dispute over wages. The South African Football Association put together a makeshift team that included a 13-year-old for the game, which ended as a 5-0 loss while the World Cup squad watched from the stands.
The players said on Saturday the pay dispute was settled and they are committed to playing the World Cup and will not strike.
