Our first World Cup Round of 32 match took place on Sunday, with co-hosts Canada scoring a late winner to edge past South Africa.
It was high drama out of keeping with the preceding 90 minutes, which was pretty forgettable fare.
In these Scout Notes, we look back on a scrappy game in Los Angeles.
We’ll focus predominantly on Canadian players, as the eliminated Bafana Bafana are a Fantasy irrelevance now.
SOUTH AFRICA 0-1 CANADA
- Goal: Eustaquio
- Assist: None
- Shot on target bonus: Oluwaseyi
- Big chance created bonus: Eustaquio
- Tackle bonus: Eustaquio, Saliba | Sithole
- Top point scorers: Eustaquio (13), Laryea, Cornelius, Johnston (all 9), Crepeau (7)
TEAM STATS
PLAYER STATS
SCOUT NOTES
- While Canada’s winner came out of the blue, with extra time looking inevitable, it was hard to argue that Jesse Marsch’s side didn’t merit the victory. South Africa looked content to play for the extra half an hour and maybe even penalties, seldom mounting attacks of quality. In fact, five of their six shots – including their only effort on target in the 5th minute – came from outside the Canadian box. No surprise that their total xG was a miserable 0.13.
- Canada, while not hitting the attacking heights we saw in the group stage, had twice as many shots (12 v 6). They also had seven efforts on target to their opponents’ one, and generated 1.32 xG.
- A lot of the Canucks’ threat came from set plays. Centre-halves Derek Cornelius ($4.0m) and Moise Bombito ($4.1m) should have done better with headed attempts, the former not making enough contact and the latter seeing his effort cleared off the line. Striker Jonathan David ($7.0m) also could and perhaps should have found the net when volleying wide from a corner, while winger Tajon Buchanan ($5.5m) saw a shot smothered after some penalty-box pinball.
- Stephen Eustaquio ($5.0m) bagged the 92nd-minute winner with a well-placed shot from outside the area after Bafana Bafana had failed to clear a cross. Don’t expect many more goals: all four of his shots in the World Cup have come from outside the box. Indeed, he didn’t have a single effort in the area in any of Canada’s pre-tournament friendlies! Assists are more likely to arrive, however. He’s taken 33 of Canada’s 39 corners at this summer’s tournament, and created five chances on Sunday. All of these came from set plays. While the aforementioned misses from the likes of Cornelius and Bombito deprived him of an assist, he did at least bag a bonus for big chances created. He also netted tackle bonus for the second time in three starts.
- Jonathan David couldn’t add to his three goals – all scored against Qatar – here. After the set-piece miss, he saw another open-play attempt saved at the near post. David is an ever-present starter in attack, but the position alongside him continues to be prone to rotation. Tani Oluwaseyi ($4.9m) returned to the XI after two matches on the bench, registering a game-high three shots. He should have scored with one breakaway chance.
- We saw the first change to Canada’s defence of the summer, meanwhile. Bargain-bin defender Luc De Fougerolles ($3.5m) always looked at risk when Bombito was back fit, and that change finally happened on Sunday. Bombito owners didn’t get any joy, mind – he was subbed in the dreaded 59th minute, having earlier gone close to scoring.
- The rest of the co-hosts’ defence all banked nine-pointers thanks to Scouting Bonus, although goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau ($4.0m) owners had to settle for seven after he crept above the 5% ownership mark.
- Along with Bombito’s first start of the tournament, there was the first sight of star man Alphonso Davies ($4.9m) at this summer’s World Cup. Indeed, he hadn’t featured at international level since March 2025 thanks to injury. Listed as a defender in Fantasy, he was introduced on the left wing on Sunday, looking bright and adding some pep to a labouring attack. Marsch wouldn’t be drawn on how long Davies could have played had the game gone to extra time, and it’s not totally clear if he’ll be ready to start in the Round of 16 next Saturday.
“Now that we have Alphonso [Davies] and Moïse [Bombito] closer and closer to 100%, we can give ourselves a chance, right? We can give ourselves a chance against some big opponents, and that’s exactly what our focus is going to be for the next match.” – Jesse Marsch
- It’s the Netherlands or Morocco up next for Canada, so expect Fantasy interest to dwindle at that point. The co-hosts will not be favourites, no matter which opponent they get. They also won’t have home advantage (as they didn’t here), with that last-16 game to take place in Houston.
- READ MORE: Fantasy FIFA World Cup 2026: How to make a substitution
- READ MORE: Fantasy FIFA World Cup 2026 captaincy: How + when to change
