Canada made their way into this stage by topping Group B, while South Africa finished second in Group A ahead of the likes of Czechia and South Korea.
Canada has more attacking quality, but this is a tricky matchup. South Africa will not try to outplay Canada for 90 minutes. They will try to slow the game down, crowd the middle, make Canada impatient and then hit through Lyle Foster or Thapelo Maseko when the ball turns over.
The big Canada question is Davies. He is not fully fit yet, so the expectation is that he starts on the bench and is used as the game-changing option if Canada needs a lift. Canada will need Jonathan David and the midfield to create.
Canada should have more of the ball, but South Africa will be comfortable with that. The key is whether Canada can move the ball quickly enough through Eustáquio and David before South Africa gets set.
For South Africa, Mokoena is the player to watch. If he can break up Canada’s rhythm and keep South Africa connected in midfield, this becomes a much more uncomfortable game for Canada than people expect.
The winner advances to the Round of 16, where a much tougher test awaits against the winner of match Netherlands vs. Morocco