{"id":1693,"date":"2026-06-28T20:15:46","date_gmt":"2026-06-29T02:15:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/ca\/?p=1693"},"modified":"2026-06-28T20:41:55","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T02:41:55","slug":"world-cup-canada-south-africa-analysis-stats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/ca\/sports-betting-and-news\/world-cup-canada-south-africa-analysis-stats\/","title":{"rendered":"Canada defeats South Africa 1-0: The stats that told the story"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was an historic day for Canada at the FIFA World Cup 2026, winning their first-ever knockout match at the tournament 1-0 over South Africa.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The African side&nbsp;put up a brave effort but were on their back feet for much of the match, happy to lay back, try to slow the contest down and weather a relentless Canadian attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\ud83c\uddff\ud83c\udde6 South Africa captain Ronwen Williams broke the record for the number of accurate passes made by a goalkeeper in a World Cup match. <br><br>Booed for consistently slowing up the play in defeat to Canada, Williams found a teammate with 77 of his 85 attempted passes (91% success). <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/GAUvzMUa99\">pic.twitter.com\/GAUvzMUa99<\/a><\/p>&mdash; FotMob (@FotMob) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/FotMob\/status\/2071345655059042603?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 28, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;I think the performance was really strong and disciplined,\u201d said Marsch. \u201cWe didn&#8217;t really give much away, and even when their goalkeeper was slowing things down, we didn&#8217;t lose our patience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While \u201cBafana Bafana\u201d did have some dangerous chances, Canadian goalkeeper&nbsp;<strong>Maxime Cr\u00e9peau<\/strong>&nbsp;stood tall when needed while his teammates smothered the South African offence for much of the afternoon. Jesse Marsch\u2019s side looked deserving of the win, creating the majority chances, proving dangerous on set pieces and controlling the flow of play despite losing overall possession 58% to 42%. They could have scored three or four.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the end, it was a&nbsp;<strong>Stephen Eust\u00e1quio<\/strong>&nbsp;strike in the 92nd minute that proved decisive, sending Canada into the Round of 16 and the thousands of Canadian fans in Los Angeles and millions more watching on television into a frenzy.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here are the eight statistics that defined Canada\u2019s victory:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td>SOUTH AFRICA<\/td><td>STAT<\/td><td>CANADA<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>0.14<\/td><td>Expected goals (xG)<\/td><td>1.38<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>6<\/td><td>Total shots&nbsp;<\/td><td>12<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>1<\/td><td>Shots on target<\/td><td>7<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>1<\/td><td>Touches in opposition box<\/td><td>25<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>1<\/td><td>Shots inside box<\/td><td>9<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>8<\/td><td>Touches in opposition box<\/td><td>25<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>1<\/td><td>Corners<\/td><td>4<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>0<\/td><td>Big chances<\/td><td>4<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Alphonso Davies&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Arguably the most important number of the match for Canada\u2019s chances moving forward was 15. That\u2019s how many minutes Canada\u2019s captain played after making his 2026 World Cup debut in the 75th minute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Playing an attacking role on the left side, he was dangerous from the minute he stepped on the pitch, nearly setting up a pair of goals and looking every bit the superstar that he is. He changed the match, evening out Canada\u2019s ability to create offence from either side of the field, and forcing South Africa to zero in on him. Fittingly, Eust\u00e1quio\u2019s winning goal started from the right side, showing what Davies can do to a team\u2019s defence just with his presence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Davies has battled injuries for much of the past 18 months and hasn\u2019t played for his country since March 2025 when he tore an ACL in the Concacaf Nations League finals. The Bayern Munich star then injured his hamstring during the Champions League semifinals in early May, putting his World Cup availability into doubt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But he\u2019s now back, and it couldn\u2019t come at a more important time for Canada. Whether his minutes will be managed in the Round of 16 and beyond is the question on the minds of fans from coast to coast to coast. But, at worst, he can be the superest of super subs, able to change a match in moments with his speed, skill and playmaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Canada\u2019s next match is July 4 at 1:00 p.m. ET in Houston, they\u2019ll face the winner of The Netherlands and Morocco, ranked 7th and 6th in the world respectively. It will be the sternest test Canada have faced since Argentina in the 2024 Copa America semifinals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Canada is dancing and celebrating in the locker room following the win!<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/FIFAWorldCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#FIFAWorldCup<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/6ALoMnRDQz\">pic.twitter.com\/6ALoMnRDQz<\/a><\/p>&mdash; TSN (@TSN_Sports) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/TSN_Sports\/status\/2071345507822166305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 28, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to bet on World Cup 2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/tooniebet.ca\/ca\/login\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Log in<\/a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/tooniebet.ca\/ca\/registration\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">register<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Navigate to the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/tooniebet.ca\/ca\/sport\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sports betting page<\/a>&nbsp;&gt; World Cup hub.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Play futures, player props, SGPs or bet live.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to live bet World Cup 2026<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Navigate to the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/tooniebet.ca\/ca\/live-betting\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">live sports page<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Follow the match trackers, real-time odds and stats, and bet.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">You\u2019ve caught World Cup fever but are new to sports betting?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This article explains&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/ca\/sports-betting-and-news\/how-does-sports-betting-work\/\">everything you need to know<\/a>&nbsp;about sportsbook odds, terms, bet types and tactics. Consider it your sports betting playbook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Photo&nbsp;courtesy AP Photo\/Andre Penner via Canadian Press Images.<br>Statistics courtesy&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/fotmob.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fotmob.com<\/a>.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/tooniebet.ca\/ca\/responsible-gaming\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"856\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Responsible-Gaming-Banner-Sports.webp\" alt=\"ToonieBet is invested in responsible gaming. Please play safe.\" class=\"wp-image-1232\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Responsible-Gaming-Banner-Sports.webp 856w, https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Responsible-Gaming-Banner-Sports-300x70.webp 300w, https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Responsible-Gaming-Banner-Sports-768x179.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 856px) 100vw, 856px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><em>The content is provided for general informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute betting advice, financial advice, or a recommendation to place any wager. Odds are subject to change. Sports wagering involves risk, and there is no guarantee of success or profit. For Ontario residents, participation in regulated online gaming is restricted to individuals 19 years of age or older. Please play responsibly. If gambling is no longer fun or may be causing harm, support is available through recognized gambling resources like&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/connexontario.ca\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><em>ConnexOntario<\/em><\/a><em>. Terms and conditions apply where applicable.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It was an historic day for Canada at the FIFA World Cup 2026, winning their first-ever knockout match at the tournament 1-0 over South Africa.&nbsp; The African side&nbsp;put up a brave effort but were on their back feet for much of the match, happy to lay back, try to slow the contest down and weather [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":1701,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[78,64,68],"tags":[74,79],"class_list":["post-1693","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-soccer","category-sports-betting-and-news","category-world-cup-2026","tag-soccer","tag-world-cup-2026"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1693","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1693"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1693\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1705,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1693\/revisions\/1705"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1701"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1693"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1693"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1693"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}