Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Water Polo World Championship match.
Italy head into their third group stage fixture at the World Aquatics Championships with two wins already under their belt, placing them at the top of Group A. Their next opponents, South Africa, represent a far lower calibre of competition, currently holding the tournament’s worst goal difference at –43.
Italy
Italy opened their campaign with a commanding 17:5 victory over Romania. Their second match proved more competitive, requiring a penalty shootout to edge past Serbia 17:16. Still, considering Serbia are regarded as one of the top five national teams in the world, this result highlights the high-level opposition they faced. When matched against lower-ranked teams, Italy have consistently secured emphatic wins. They have previously defeated South Africa three times by a combined score of 60:7.
South Africa
South Africa have endured two heavy losses in their group stage campaign. They were thrashed 3:27 by Serbia in their opener and then fell 5:24 to Romania. These results reflect their current 25th position in the world rankings. Historically, South Africa have consistently been among the lower-tier teams at the World Aquatics Championships, never finishing higher than 12th in over 13 years of competition.
Italy vs South Africa Prediction
Italy are a well-established force on the international stage and have a history of overwhelming victories against South Africa. Given their current form and the clear difference in quality, it appears highly unlikely that South Africa will avoid another one-sided outcome.
