South Africa has the biggest chance to advance even further to the Last-16 and immediately amend the history books they rewrote after defeating South Korea 1-0 on Thursday morning.
South Africa made history when they booked their place in the knockout stage of the 2026 Fifa World Cup after bumping South Korea from the second spot.
They will face Canada in the Last-32 round at the Los Angeles Stadium tonight. Kick-off is at 9pm.
The Canadians are not world beaters and might not be known for their diski prowess. That should give South Africa hope and courage — not many countries shake in their boots at the prospects of facing Canada.
But having said that, it does not mean Bafana can take Canada for granted, especially since the North Americans are one of the three host nations.
While historically a recreational sport, soccer in Canada now boasts the highest registered participation numbers of any sport. Football does not fall within the big three sports in Canada.
Their national winter sport, ice hockey, is king and has a sizeable Canadian following compared to other sports.
Football or gridiron (featuring the CFL and NFL) comes at number two, followed by baseball/basketball. Soccer, to avoid confusion with gridiron, is at a distant fourth. But while hockey remains the most culturally significant, basketball and soccer have experienced rapid growth in both participation and viewership.
You cannot blame South Africa and its supporters for being optimistic and harbouring hope that they can outplay Canada.
The biggest hindrance is that due to proximity, the Canadians will fill the LA venue to capacity and create an unbearable atmosphere for coach Hugo Broos’s players. We saw the South Africans cracking and capitulating against Mexico in the opening game of the tournament.
But Bafana are on a high and self-belief has escalated to the highest level after their historic and hard-fought victory over South Korea on Thursday in Monterrey, Mexico.
A plus for Broos is that just like his team, Canada will be playing in the knockout stage at a Fifa World Cup for the first time. As mentioned, they are not a diski powerhouse. They will also be playing in their third World Cup this year.
Canada opened the tournament with a 1-1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina, amassing their first point in the history of the competition. Canada’s only victory at this tournament so far was in their second group match where they walloped Qatar 6-1.
Qatar is not one of the world beaters in global football and is number 61 in the Fifa world rankings. Canada then faced real competition in the form of Switzerland and succumbed to a 2-1 loss in Vancouver midweek.
Canada’s players to watch:
Jonathan David:
Canada should be lauded for not letting the grip off the whip when Qatar was fighting for breathing space. David is not on the books of Serie A club Juventus for nothing — he helped himself to a hat-trick against the hapless Qataris in the group stage and is one of the golden boot contenders.
Cyle Larin:
He has scored two goals, one against Bosnia and Herzegovina and another against Qatar. Broos’s defence will have to be on high alert for the Southhampton striker.
Canada coach Jesse Marsch:
He took charge of the squad in May 2024. The little-known coach is a former American player who played 14 seasons as a midfielder in Major League Soccer with DC United, Chicago Fire and Chivas USA. He won three league titles and four US Open Cup titles, as well as earned two caps for the United States national team.
- South Africa achieved a historic 1-0 victory over South Korea.
- This win opened up the biggest chance for South Africa to advance to the Last-16.
- The team aims to further rewrite history with their performance.
- The match took place on Thursday morning.
- Full details are available in the Sunday World e-edition.
But having said that, it does not mean Bafana can take Canada for granted, especially since the
While historically a recreational sport, soccer in Canada now boasts the highest registered participation numbers of any sport. Football does not fall within the big three sports in Canada.
Football or gridiron (featuring the CFL and NFL) comes at number two, followed by baseball/basketball. Soccer, to avoid confusion with gridiron, is at a distant fourth. But while hockey remains the most culturally significant, basketball and soccer have experienced rapid growth in both participation and viewership.
You cannot blame
But Bafana are on a high and self-belief has escalated to the highest level after their historic and hard-fought victory over
A plus for Broos is that just like his team, Canada will be playing in the knockout stage at a Fifa World Cup for the first time. As mentioned, they are not a diski powerhouse.
Canada opened the tournament with a 1-1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina, amassing their first point in the history of the competition. Canada’s only victory at this tournament so far was in their second group match where they walloped Qatar 6-1.
Qatar is not one of the world beaters in global football and is number 61 in the Fifa world rankings. Canada then faced real competition in the form of
Canada’s players to watch:
Canada should be lauded for not letting the grip off the whip when Qatar was fighting for breathing space. David is not on the books of Serie A club Juventus for nothing — he helped himself to a hat-trick against the hapless Qataris in the group stage and is one of the golden boot contenders.
Cyle Larin:
He has scored two goals, one against Bosnia and Herzegovina and another against Qatar. Broos’s defence will have to be on high alert for the
Canada coach Jesse Marsch:
He took charge of the squad in May 2024.
