South Africa vs Afghanistan: Can Afghans unleash their A-game?

ICC World Cup Prediction Nov 10th is here! The South Africa vs Afghanistan match is a highly-anticipated showdown  that will determine if the Proteas have what it takes to tackle the spin wizardry from Afghans.

The contest unfolds at Narendra Modi Stadium, Lucknow on Friday (November 10). The Men in Blue came into this tournament with a lot of ambitions and surprised the cricket circles.

They are currently slotted at number six in the points table with four wins from their seven games, and these two remaining games could decide if they can make it into the final-four sides of the mega event.

Their strength was always the variety in spin bowling and they have done a tremendous job in restricting heavy-weight teams to modest totals.

Proteas on the other hand are playing next-level cricket showcasing their brutal batting power. They are probably the second-best team in the competition with six wins from seven games.

A lot of people believe that this could be the ideal opportunity for them to end their ICC trophy drought as it has been a flawless effort from them in the competition be it batting or bowling.

Afghanistan vs South Africa: Head-to-head history

These two sides have hardly met in ODI cricket which is a bit of a surprise and point to reconsider things.

They have met in ODIs only once and too in the last World Cup where the proteas dismantled their batting attack for a mere 125 score and chased it comfortably.

This is high time after seeing the improved, authoritative, and stamping performance of Afghanistan in this World Cup, all high stakeholders of the ICC need to give a fair amount of opportunities and platforms to Afghanistan to get better from here onwards.

The qualification scenario of Afghanistan for the semi-final is still in their hands as they just need to win the remaining two games which is evident that they have done something special in this mega event.

Players to watch out for

South Africa vs Afghanistan players to watch out for with our ICC World Cup Prediction.

Quinton De Kock

This World Cup will always be remembered for a few of the giants for their consistently impactful performances, Quinton De Kock would be right on top. 

The left-handed opener is the highest run scorer of this tournament with 545 runs so far with 4 monumental tons and surely it is not over yet.

He announced his retirement from ODI cricket before the start of this tournament which was a bit of a shock to so many people as he is only 30 years Old.

The way he has batted shows that he has a lot of cricket left in him and this could not be the best of decisions to retire.

Quinny will be one of the hot picks to watch out for in that contest with his consistent form going on and if he gets it all right, surely will take the game away from Afghanistan’s reach.

South Africa has already qualified for the semis so it won’t be surprising if he finishes this campaign as the highest run scorer.

Aiden Markaram

When we use the word Classy, there are only a few batters that come to mind, Aiden Markaram is one special among them.

He is the true definition of class with power which makes such a deadly combination. The elegant right-hander is one of the reasons why South Africa is right at the top. 

The versatility of a batter is noticed when he adapts to different situations and this lad is no different, his 49 ball hundred against Sri Lanka on a belter of a surface and a composed 93 ball 91 against Pakistan on a tricky surface is a true definition of his adaptability.

The 29-year-old right-hander has scored 371 runs in this World Cup and surely it would be fascinating to watch him bat in a few days.

Marco Jansen

Marco Jansen is a tall 6 ft plus lad who is such a promising cricketer from South Africa. The tall left-arm quick has surely made a mark in International cricket in the last 1 year.

He was first spotted playing some competitive cricket in IPL for Mumbai Indians and they are one of the best scouting units in the world.

There is always something exciting about left farmers who can bring the new shiny ball back to the right-handers at will, how often do we see them uprooting the top orders of oppositions.

This lad has been amongst the leading wicket-takers in the tournament having 16 scalps in his name. The boy will play a key role in ensuring Proteas gets a good start with the new ball.

He is a very handy batter as well down the order which makes him more important and impactful for his side.

South Africa vs Afghanistan: Match prediction 

 Going by the strengths of both sides and the quality of cricket they played in the competition, surely South Africa is by far a much better side. 

They are equipped with diverse match winners and any one of them can win a game on their own. The way the men in green batted first in this tournament putting monstrous scores on board, this could be a repeat of that if they get to bat first. 

Afghanistan's sole strength has been their spinners who need to get into the game quickly before it gets too late. 

We have seen that Proteas tend to have that choking element in crunch situations and they haven't chased well enough in the competition, being exposed against the Netherlands as well.

The best bet for Afghanistan in this contest is to bat first and somehow manage to put in a respectable score and then let their spinners get into the game which would make this game an eye-catching one.

The current form of South Africa keeps them ahead of this game but it should not be a surprise if Afghanistan manages to sneak past them and make their case stronger for semis which would make this competition more enthralling.

Nobody gave a fair amount of chances to Afghanistan before the start of the World Cup but they have managed to attain everyone's attention which is a good sign for their cricket.