Canada has reached the FIFA World Cup round of 16 for the first time after a dramatic 1-nil victory over South Africa in the tournament’s opening knockout match.
The breakthrough came deep into stoppage time at SoFi Stadium in California, when Stephen Eustáquio controlled a clearance before firing a powerful volley into the bottom corner to seal a historic win.
The Canadians had dominated much of the match but were repeatedly denied by South African goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, who made five saves to keep Bafana Bafana in the contest.
South Africa defended resolutely and threatened on the counterattack but struggled to create clear scoring opportunities, registering just one shot on target.
Canada also welcomed back star defender Alphonso Davies, who made his first appearance of the tournament after recovering from a hamstring injury. His introduction added energy to the attack before Eustáquio finally broke the deadlock in the second minute of stoppage time.
The victory marks Canada’s first-ever knockout win at a World Cup and continues an impressive run under coach Jesse Marsch, who praised his players for believing until the final whistle and called them “Canadian heroes.”
Canada will now face either the Netherlands or Morocco in Houston, with a place in the quarterfinals at stake, while South Africa exits the tournament after a spirited campaign that showcased the team’s resilience on football’s biggest stage.
