The Canadian men's national soccer team is set to face South Africa in a historic FIFA World Cup round-of-32 knockout match at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Sunday, June 28, 2026.
This fixture marks the first-ever knockout stage appearance for both nations.
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Canada finished second in Group B after a 2-1 defeat against Switzerland at BC Place in Vancouver, while South Africa advanced as the Group A runner-up.
The loss forced Canada to travel to the United States, relinquishing home-field advantage.
South Africa secured its knockout spot by bouncing back from an opening loss to Mexico, drawing 1-1 with Czechia, and upsetting South Korea 1-0.
Players Address Slow Starts and Tactical Adjustments
Forward Tani Oluwaseyi acknowledged the team's tendency to have sluggish openings, contrasting their dominant 6-0 victory over Qatar with the recent loss to Switzerland.
“I think it's just being wary of how sometimes we can start a game, trying to be more like we were against Qatar and less like we were against Switzerland,” Oluwaseyi said.
He noted that tactical film study helped identify spatial opportunities to exploit against the South African lineup.
“Sometimes it has been a slow start but other times we have to give credit to the other team as well,” he added.
Oluwaseyi also shrugged off a pre-match comment from South Africa Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie, who predicted a 3-0 victory for his nation.
“Fair enough to him, he has to say what he has to say,” Oluwaseyi said, emphasizing that the team intends to answer the challenge on the field.
