LIVE UPDATES | Bafana v Canada in the last 32, all the build-up and action

Refresh for latest updates. Rea from bottom up …

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8.03pm – Here’s how Canada line up:

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7.50pm – The starting XIs are out!

Here is Bafana Bafana. One change from Coach Hugo Broos from the impressive 1-0 win against South Korea in Monterrey on Thursday.

This is really interesting. Frankly, yes, your Blogger believes Broos has got it about 100% right for the third match running.

Teboho Mokoena, back from suspension, comes in for Thalente Mbatha, reuniting the central midfield pair that was such an excellent partnership with Sphephelo Sithole when Bafana won bronze in the Africa Cup of Nations in 2024.

Goalkeeper Ronwen Williams and his back four of Khuliso Mudau, these two young centraback talents in Mbekezeli Mbokazi and Ime Okon and Aubrey Modiba were excellent against Korea.

On the wings, Oswin Appollis was a little quieter against Korea after a strong game against Czechia – he could be due a dangerous game tonight; Thapelo Maseko was the scorer and man of the match against Korea.

Relebohile Mofokeng’s touches in the last two games (Sub against Czechia, starting against Korea) at playmaker have reportedly drawn interest from clubs in Europe.

Evidence Makgopa was strong up-front starting agianst the Koreans.

Bafana XI: (4-2-3-1) Ronwen Williams – Khuliso Mudau, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Ime Okon, Aubrey Modiba – Sphephelo Sithole, Teboho Mokoena – Oswin Appollis, Relebohile Mofokeng, Thapelo Maseko – Evidence Makgopa

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7.24pm – And … as we await the starting XIs, here is a nit about why Bafana might just have a chance to win this game. Should we even say such a thing, though? It’s dangerous, starting to think this way about Bafana Bafana. Still, perhaps, just perhaps.

This from per story by Mahlatse Mphahlele last week on Bafana’s travel logistics, losing a day’s training because FIFA insisted SA go via their Mexico training base in Pachuca, near Mexico Cityt, rather than direct to LA (Canada would have been able to travel to Los Angeles direct from Vancouver):

While there’s a potential disadvantage from the travelling to reach Los Angeles, Bafana, after a genuinely polished win against classy 28th-ranked South Korea, will feel they have a chance against 31st-placed Canada. There are a few reasons why.

Canada’s ceding of their Vancouver BC Place stronghold was demoralising for them. South Africa drew international scepticism with their performance in their opening Mexico defeat, but have settled and are coming off a monumental confidence boost from that display against the Koreans.

Canada are no longer minnows like they once were in world football ― the country has put in great effort and made strides in the sport and they have some players based in strong leagues, with many in Major League Soccer. Yet their ranking might flatter them a margin.

They have had some big injuries before and in the tournament, notably star Italian-based central midfielder Ismaël Koné, who broke his leg in their 6-0 win against Qatar. Bafana have their best player, central midfielder Teboho Mokoena, returning from suspension.

Canada’s Group B, where their other result was a 1-1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina, had the feel of one, conspiratorially, a little rigged by Fifa as winnable for the co-hosts ― it’s always good financially when host nations go far in tournaments. Bafana have just came through a tough, tight group.

There has not been a better opportunity for Bafana to reach a World Cup last 16. It will be tough against a team of hard-working, high-level professionals. But there just might be yet another round for Bafana to proceed in at this World Cup.

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7.12pm – Here is some match info:

• Teams: Bafana Bafana v Canada
• Kickoff: 12pm in Los Angeles, 9pm in South Africa
• Match Venue: Los Angeles Stadium, also called SoFi Stadium
• Stadium Capacity: 70,240
• Stadium build completion: 2020
• Stadium type: An indoor multi-purpose stadium in Inglewood, California, U.S., a suburb of Los Angeles
• Stage: World Cup last 32
• About Inglewood: (per Wikipedia) Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, US, in the Greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city had a population of 107,762. It is in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, near Los Angeles International Airport. The Inglewood area was developed after the opening of the Venice–Inglewood railway in 1887 and incorporated as a city on February 14 1908.
• Match officials: Referee: João Pinheiro (Portugal); assistant referee 1: Bruno Jesus (Portugal), assistant referee 2: Luciano Maia (Portugal); fourth official: Omar Al Ali (United Arab Emirates); video assistant referee (VAR) Carlos del Cerro Grande (Spain).
• On TV: SABC 1, SABC 3, SABC Sport and streamed on SABC+; SuperSport’s 201 and 202
• How Bafana reached the last 32: Second place in Group A – Mexico 9 points, South Africa 4 points, South Korea 3 points, Czechia 1 point. (Mexico 2 Bafana 0; Czechia 1 Bafana 1; Bafana 1 South Korea 0)
• How Canada reached the last 32: Second place in Group B – Switzerland 7 points, Canada 4 points, Bosnia and Herzegovina 4 points, Qatar 1 point. (Canada 1 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1; Canada 6 Qatar 0; Switzerland 2 Canada 1)

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6.56pm – To follow, some match info …

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6.55pm – Wow. Here we are. Bafana Bafana in a World Cup knckput stage match. That’s just crazy, isn’t it. And not. It was going to happen sometime.

The story of how they got there in Group A, as the lowest-ranked team of the four, desperately nervy and disappointing in that opener against Mexico, so improved drawing against Czechia, then, dare one say it, world class and exuberant beating a classy South Korea is now stuff of legend, and the past.

Tonight (Sunday) in Los Angelese, it’s the 2026 FIFA World Cup last 32 game against Canada. History has been made with Bafana’s first progression past a group stage, entering coach Hugo Broos into the pantheon of legends for the national team. Can more be made with a last-16 place that the coach himself has admitted would be a miracle for his World Cup babes in the wood?

Just a little more than two hours to go an then we find out.

I am your LIVE UPDATES BLOGGER, Arena Holdings and TimesLIVE Digital Sports Editor Marc Strydom.

Again, I am not in Los Angeles Stadium but bringing you these updates from my living room in Melville, Johannesburg. Hugely experienced and knowledgeable TimesLIVE and Arena Senior Sports Reporter Mahlatse Mphahlele has been covering the tournament for us in North America. A little more about his excellent coverage a little later. Catch his match report once it’s published at around 11pm.

South Africa! This is it! A real chance for Bafana Bafana to go to the last 16 of a World Cup. We must pinch ourselves. The, pinch a cold one from the fridge, get settled, spring-jumping action at the ready, in those couches, pull up a quart or a glass of wine in your bar, or tavern or shebeen or event fan evening, one of the most consequential matches in South African football history is set to begin soon. This is what football and being a football supporters is all about. The World Cup, baby!

Go Bafana Bafana, go!!!

• All the World Cup fixtures here
• World Cup page here
• All the group profiles here
• Star player profiles here
• Bafana news here

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