Canada vs. South Africa: The Biggest Game in Canadian Soccer History

History is being written with every match. Canada and South Africa meet at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California this Sunday, June 28 at 3 p.m. ET in a World Cup round of 32 clash — and the two sides share a remarkable distinction: it is the first time in the history of either nation that they have reached the knockout stage of a men’s World Cup.

How Canada Got Here

The road through the group stage was a rollercoaster. After a 1-1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina and a stunning 6-0 demolition of Qatar — which included a hat-trick from Jonathan David — Canada fell 2-1 to Switzerland in their final group match, finishing second in Group B. The Qatar win came at a cost, however, with midfielder Ismaël Koné suffering a broken leg and ruled out for the remainder of the tournament.

Coach Jesse Marsch admitted after the Switzerland defeat that he missed an opportunity to top the group, acknowledging he should have made tactical adjustments at halftime. Still, the Canadians are through — and that is what matters.

Davies Is Back

The biggest news heading into Sunday: Marsch confirmed that Alphonso Davies will be fit to play for the first time at this World Cup. The Bayern Munich left-back has been recovering from a hamstring injury sustained during a Champions League semifinal in early May. Marsch even admitted he used Davies as a decoy against Switzerland — dressing him and letting the opposition worry about him — while never intending to play him.

His return transforms Canada’s attacking threat. With Davies pushing high on the left and David leading the line, Canada will press from the front and look to exploit any weakness in South Africa’s build-up play.

Who Are Bafana Bafana?

South Africa’s journey to this point was anything but smooth. After a 2-0 opening loss to Mexico in which two of their players were shown red cards, an early exit looked almost certain. But they regrouped, drew against Czechia, and then delivered when it mattered most. Thapelo Maseko’s 63rd-minute strike against South Korea catapulted them above their opponents and into the knockout stage for the very first time.

Canada enter ranked 30th in the world by FIFA, compared to South Africa at 60th. On paper, the advantage is clear — but knockout soccer rarely cares about rankings.

What’s at Stake

For Canadian soccer fans, the stakes go well beyond a single result. Canada has appeared at just two World Cups in their history — 1986 and 2022 — without ever winning a knockout match. A victory on Sunday would be the most significant result in Canadian men’s soccer history.

Captain Stephen Eustáquio captured the dressing room mood after the Switzerland loss: “That’s a good sign, that fact that we are sad and mad about this result. We’re ready for whatever’s next.”

Whatever’s next is South Africa. Kick off is Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on TSN and CTV. Don’t miss it.