South Africa and Canada will face off in the first match of the Round of 32. The group stage is over, and we’re now moving into the knockout rounds of the 2026 World Cup.

South Africa, playing with heart and soul in its group, managed to finish in second place in Group 1 with four points. The Africans, of course, got off to a rocky start in the tournament, suffering a crushing defeat at the hands of Mexico (2-0), followed by a draw against the Czech Republic (1-1), while their advancement came thanks to a hard-fought 1-0 victory over North Korea.

South Africa has advanced past the group stage for the first time in its history and is now aiming for its first-ever victory in a knockout match.

On the other side, the host Canadians want to please their fans; having advanced from the group stage, they aim to continue their excellent run.

Canada finished in second place in Group 2 with four points following a draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina (1-1) and a resounding and highly impressive 6-0 victory over Qatar. Of course, they lost to Switzerland (2-1), but that didn’t dampen their spirits.

And Canada managed, for the first time in history, to advance to the knockout stage, with their aspirations and dreams set on going even further.

Probable Starting Lineups:
South Africa: Williams, Moundau, Okon, Bokazi, Modiba, Sitole, Mokoena, Maseko, Mofokeng, Apolis, Masengo
Canada: Crepo, Lariéa, De Fuzerol, Cornelius, Johnston, Ahmed, Soignier, Saliba, Buchanan, Larin, David

*photo source: AP