South Africa became the first team to be eliminated from the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32 after suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat to Canada on Sunday night.
Bafana Bafana produced a spirited display and enjoyed 58% possession compared to Canada’s 42%, but struggled to convert their dominance into meaningful chances. They managed just one shot on target, while Canada tested the South African defence with seven.
Goalkeeper Ronwen Williams once again delivered an impressive performance, making five saves across both halves to keep his side in the contest.
After a goalless first half, the match remained evenly balanced, with both teams searching for a breakthrough. Just as the game appeared destined for extra time, Stephen Eustaquio struck two minutes into stoppage time to break South African hearts and send Canada into the Round of 16.
Speaking after the match, South Africa coach Hugo Broos admitted his side lacked the physical attributes needed to overcome their opponents.
“I think we have to be honest that today, we lost the game because there was a lack of power and speed in our team when I compare that with our opponent’s. We lost a lot of duels, man against man,” he said.
“When you see how quick it went with Canada and we also for the building up, how long sometimes it was before we took a decision. Those are things we have to work on. And this is also what I said already many times in South Africa, but nobody believes me. Modern football is more than technique. Modern football is power and speed. And when you don’t have it in your team, and you play against a team that has it, and it’s the big quality of this team – not only that, but that’s the big quality.”
Canada will now face the winner of the match between Morocco and the Netherlands on July 4 at Houston Stadium.
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