South Africa vs Canada: World Cup 2026 preview

South Africa meet Canada in the World Cup round of 32 in Los Angeles on 28 Jun 2026, kick-off 15:00 EST / 20:00 GMT. Bafana Bafana have reached the knockout phase of a men’s World Cup for the first time in their history. Co-hosts Canada advanced with four points from their opening two fixtures: a 1-1 draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina followed by a 6-0 win over Qatar that included a hat-trick from Jonathan David.

The Qatar game also brought a serious injury for Sassuolo midfielder Ismael Kone, who suffered a broken leg, and a 2-1 loss to Switzerland in the final group match proved academic. Coach Jesse Marsch has been without Alphonso Davies, who has not played at the tournament after a recurrence of a previous injury.

South Africa’s route was more turbulent. They began with a 2-0 defeat to Mexico that saw red cards for Themba Zwane and Sphephelo Sithole, then drew 1-1 with the Czech Republic through a Teboho Mokoena penalty; Mokoena’s booking in that game ruled him out of the decider.

south africa, canada, world cup, los angeles, jonathan david, alphonso davies, jesse marsch, ismael kone, bafana bafana, teboho mokoena