Martin Tyler gives 48-team World Cup thumbs up

In an exclusive interview with SABC Sport, Tyler says the expanded World Cup has delivered the entertainment that some may have thought would slip away with the addition of 16 more teams. Match-day two of the competition co-hosted by USA, Mexico, and Canada begins today with Bafana Bafana in action against Czechia in Atlanta.

 "I think it's been a very good World Cup so far, perhaps surprisingly good. We've seen everyone play now. I must say it's not been easy to see all the games with commentary on the games I am doing myself in Dallas. We're trying to keep up by watching highlights, and I've seen bits of pretty much every team," said Tyler.

READ: Czechia refuse to dwell on Bafana’s Mexico defeat ahead of Atlanta showdown

"I think the 48 nations has been a pretty good thing, you know. People thought that maybe we would be spreading it a bit thin, but I don't think so. I think every team has been competitive and come here really well prepared. And even Curaçao, beaten 7-1, but the truth is they scored against Germany, and that will be a historic moment in their football."

"I think those nations that haven't been involved before will get a financial benefit from this as well. I think there have been a lot of doubters, of course, about the size of the competition, but I think it's been very good, and it's been very enjoyable to play a small part in it."

Tyler has commentated in every World Cup since 1978 and was also in the USA when they hosted 32 years ago. He has his reservations against the culture of football as we know it in the country, and says they still have some way to go to grow the game among the locals to their professional set-up.

Tyler called the England vs Croatia match in Dallas last night and picked the Three Lions as his team of the first round so far, closely followed by France as one of the favourites. 

Tonight’s match is one in which Bafana cannot afford a negative result if they’re to stay alive at the tournament, and Tyler believes they’ll go into it determined to do far better than last week’s opener against Mexico. He does, however, feel that South Africa’s presence itself after a 16-year hiatus represents success in that context.