Co-hosts Canada are the first team to qualify for the Last 16 of the FIFA World Cup football tournament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The North American side advanced to the Last 16 for the first time in history, courtesy of a Stephen Eustaquio’s stoppage-time winner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With both sides making their first-ever appearance in the knockout phase, the game appeared to be heading for extra time, before Eustaquio broke South African hearts with a clinical hit from just outside the area to give the Canadians the 1-0 victory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Canada – playing in Los Angeles despite being co-hosts, after failing to win their group – will now face the Netherlands or Morocco in Houston in the last 16 on Saturday, as South Africa’s World Cup adventure came to an end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before the game, head coach Jesse Marsch had talked up the “X-factor” of Canada’s star Alphonso Davies, available again after a hamstring injury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the Bayern Munich wing-back, who was yet to appear at this FIFA World Cup, remained glaringly absent from the starting line-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Still, Canada began on the front foot, racking up chances against South Africa’s low block.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the 22nd minute, a pinpoint Eustaquio free-kick found Derek Cornelius wide open on the six-yard line. The Canada centre-back utterly mistimed his headed effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
South Africa threatened sporadically on the counter. But in a frenetic period just before half-time Canada came agonisingly close.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From a corner, Moise Bombito’s header was cleared off the line, before Tajon Buchanan’s follow-up shot was blocked by goalkeeper Ronwen Williams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moments later Khuliso Mudau crashed into the dangerous Richie Laryea, but his penalty appeals were waved away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That enraged a heavily Canadian crowd, and the jeers grew louder after half-time as South Africa were content to exchange deep passes under little pressure while the clock ticked down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just past the hour mark, Canada came close again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Substitute Niko Sigur slid a through ball to Tani Oluwaseyi whose shot was well-saved by the goalkeeper and looped up toward Jonathan David – but defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi just got there first and cleared brilliantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the 75th minute Davies finally appeared, to a huge roar, and made an immediate impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From the left wing, Davies found Jonathan David who laid the ball to fellow striker – and no relation – Promise David, but his shot went wide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moments later Davies found Jonathan David again. This time he shot from a tight angle, but was denied by Williams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the second minute of stoppage time, Canada finally broke through, from the other flank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jacob Shaffelburg raced down the right wing and pinged in a cross which was headed clear to Eustaquio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Porto midfielder – on loan at Los Angeles FC – chested the ball down and slammed it first-time into the bottom-left corner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Canada’s bench streamed onto the pitch as the stadium erupted, celebrating a historic victory.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Co-hosts Canada are the first team to qualify for the Last 16 of the FIFA World Cup football<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14312,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[430],"tags":[276,63],"class_list":["post-14311","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-football","tag-fifa","tag-football"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t