Stephen Eustáquio scored from outside the box in the second minute of second-half added time, and Canada beat South Africa 1-0 on Sunday for its first victory in a World Cup knockout match.
The tense match at SoFi Stadium seemed headed for extra time until Eustáquio hit a spectacular volley from outside the box and placed it into the bottom corner of Ronwen Williams’ goal.
Co-host Canada held on to victory with solid defensive work in the final minutes and will now face the winner of the duel between the Netherlands and Morocco on July 4 in Houston.
Coach Jesse Marsch gathered his players in a circle after the whistle and proclaimed, “You are Canadian heroes! Canadian heroes!”
Canada played its first three home games in Toronto and Vancouver, but was forced to become the first World Cup host to play outside its country when it lost 2-1 to Switzerland last Wednesday.
The Canadians were the clear favorites of the fans in the Los Angeles area, among those who traveled hundreds of kilometers and the residents of the area, including several wearing Eustáquio’s LAFC shirt who could not imagine the day that awaited them.
Williams shined under the South African goal with five saves, and the team stayed in the game until the last second in search of another historic victory for Bafana Bafana. Canada had the best chances throughout the day, although South Africa also created a handful of excellent chances.
Canada finally capitalized when the defense cleared a long serve from Alistair Johnson in the area, but the ball fell to the feet of Eustáquio, who unleashed a powerful shot and began celebrating almost immediately.
After finishing second in their respective groups, both South Africa and Canada were looking for their first win in a World Cup knockout round.
Canada received a boost in the 75th minute with the introduction of star fullback Alphonso Davies, who missed the entire group stage with a hamstring injury.
The skilled Bayern Munich defender injured his hamstring last month for the third time this year, but finally returned to the same stadium where he tore a knee ligament in March 2025 during a CONCACAF Nations League match.
Davies immediately made his presence felt with a pass to Promise David, who failed to capitalize on a clear chance and took a shot wide.
South Africa reached the knockout rounds for the first time with a shock 1-0 win over South Korea last Wednesday, arguably the highest moment in Bafana Bafana’s checkered history.
