South Africa v Canada – predictions and odds – 2026 World Cup (28 June 2026)

The World Cup knockout stages kick off this Sunday. The round of 32 will open with the clash between South Africa and Canada, which will be played on Sunday in Los Angeles at 1.00 pm local time, so the heat could have an impact on the match.

South Africa caused an upset by sneaking through as runners-up

Following their opening defeat to Mexico in a dreadful match, not even the most optimistic of South African fans could have imagined that their team would end up finishing second in Group A.

They secured their place by drawing with the Czech Republic, after coming back from 1-0 down, and completed the surprise by defeating South Korea on the final matchday, when the odds were clearly stacked against them.

The results speak for themselves and deserve credit, but the quality of their football has been rather lacklustre. South Africa have capitalised on the opportunities presented by the Czechs and the Koreans, although their standard of play has been far from brilliant.

They are a side that creates little in attack and continue to look shaky when the opposition manages to settle near their penalty area. South Korea’s lack of ambition on matchday three also helped the Africans find their way into the round of 16. I would go so far as to say they have qualified because of the low standard of Group A, in which not even Mexico have shown great form, despite winning all three matches.

Canada lost top spot on matchday three

Canada were drawn in Group B, which Switzerland eventually topped after beating the Canadians 2–1 on the final matchday. This means the hosts will have to play this knockout tie away from home, which is always a slight drawback.

Up until that match against Switzerland, Canada’s performance had been thoroughly positive. They drew with Bosnia in a match where they deserved far more, and subsequently thrashed Qatar 6–0 in one of the most convincing performances of the entire group stage.

The feeling is that Canada have managed to put together a competitive squad for this tournament, with attacking options and the ability to dominate key periods of matches.

South Africa v Canada Prediction

The bookmakers have Canada as favourites, which I think is quite logical given what we’ve seen in the group stage.

The North American side have shown an ability to create chances, frequently penetrate the opposition’s box and convert those opportunities into goals. At times, they have played dynamic football with plenty of character, which has gone down very well with the fans.

South Africa, by contrast, have proved to be a much more limited side. They struggle to create danger consistently and concede too many chances when the opposition manage to move the ball quickly. Maseko, who scored against Korea, has probably been the Africans’ standout player, but that seems a weak basis on which to sustain a knockout tie at this level.

My feeling is that South Africa has already exceeded expectations at this World Cup.

Canada come into the match in better form, with more to offer on the pitch and a higher-quality attacking game. If they maintain the level they showed during the group stage, they should assert their superiority and progress to the round of 16.

The odds have dropped slightly since they were first set, but I still see value in the bets in favour of Canada for this match.