Liam Duckstein
South Africa and Canada meet in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 at Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood, California on Sunday, June 28, 2026, at 19:00 UTC. Both sides reached the knockout stage through contrasting group campaigns, and this fixture carries significant weight for two nations at very different stages of their World Cup stories.
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Match Details
The game takes place at Los Angeles Stadium (capacity: 70,492), with referee João Pedro Silva Pinheiro officiating. Conditions are forecast as partly cloudy at 21°C.
Predicted Lineups
South Africa (4-2-3-1)
| 1 | Ronwen Williams |
| 20 | Khuliso Mudau |
| 21 | Ime Okon |
| 14 | Mbekezeli Mbokazi |
| 6 | Aubrey Maphosa Modiba |
| 5 | Thalente Mbatha |
| 13 | Sphephelo Sithole |
| 12 | Thapelo Maseko |
| 10 | Relebohile Mofokeng |
| 7 | Oswin Appollis |
| 17 | Evidence Makgopa |
Unavailable: Themba Zwane (suspension)
Canada (4-4-2)
| 16 | Maxime Crépeau |
| 2 | Alistair Johnston |
| 4 | Luc De Fougerolles |
| 13 | Derek Cornelius |
| 22 | Richie Laryea |
| 17 | Tajon Buchanan |
| 25 | Nathan Saliba |
| 7 | Stephen Eustaquio |
| 20 | Ali Ahmed |
| 9 | Cyle Larin |
| 10 | Jonathan David |
Unavailable: Alfie Jones (injury), Ismaël Koné (injury)
Recent Form
| South Africa | W 1–0 vs South Korea · D 1–1 vs Czech Republic · L 0–2 vs Mexico · D 0–0 vs Nicaragua · L 1–2 vs Panama |
| Canada | W 2–0 vs Uzbekistan · D 1–1 vs Ireland · D 1–1 vs Bosnia & Herzegovina · W 6–0 vs Qatar · L 1–2 vs Switzerland |
Key Insights
- Thapelo Maseko’s winner against South Korea marked the first time South Africa led in a World Cup match since 2010.
- Bafana Bafana won that match with just 31.5% possession — the lowest recorded by any side in a World Cup game they won.
- South Africa collected two red cards in their opening 2–0 defeat to Mexico, yet still recovered to qualify from the group.
- Bafana Bafana scored only two goals across three group matches, generating a mere 1.1 xG in the win over South Korea.
- South Africa advanced with four points — the fewest accumulated by a host nation since the United States in 1994.
- Jonathan David scored a hat-trick in Canada’s 6–0 win over Qatar, the country’s first-ever World Cup victory.
- Canada lost to Switzerland despite needing only a draw to top the group and remain in Vancouver.
- Canada scored six goals against Qatar but managed just one in each of their other two group fixtures.
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Read also:Where to Watch South Africa vs Canada – June 28, 2026
What to Watch
South Africa’s path to the Round of 16 was built on defensive resilience and a willingness to absorb pressure, with their 31.5% possession win over South Korea the clearest expression of that approach. Against a Canada side that carries genuine attacking depth — David, Larin, and Buchanan all capable of decisive moments — Bafana Bafana’s defensive structure will be tested at a higher level than anything they faced in the group stage.
Canada’s group campaign was uneven. The 6–0 destruction of Qatar looked dominant on paper, but one-goal returns in the remaining two matches and a defeat to Switzerland revealed a side that struggles to maintain attacking output across multiple high-pressure games. The absences of Alfie Jones and Ismaël Koné add further uncertainty to their setup.
South Africa’s suspended Themba Zwane is a loss in the attacking third, limiting creativity options for a side that already generated minimal xG in the group phase.
Follow TipsGG for live updates, odds, and analysis as this World Cup Round of 16 tie develops.