The World Cup knockout stage brings us an intriguing opening matchup on Sunday between South Africa and Canada.
Both sides advanced after finishing second in their respective groups, but their paths couldn’t have been more different. Bafana Bafana overcame South Korea in dramatic fashion to clinch a spot in the Round of 32 after two disappointing showings in earlier group play against Mexico and Czechia.
Many had counted them out, but Thapelo Maseko’s strike in the 63rd minute clinched their first-ever trip to the knockout round.
Canada seemed to have first place in Group B within reach after tying Bosnia in the opener, followed by Jonathan David’s elusive hat trick, which propelled Les Rouges to a 6-1 win over Qatar.
However, that was short-lived, as they lost to Switzerland 2-1 in their group-play finale, missing out on a chance to host an opponent in host city Vancouver.
At this stage of the tournament, teams tend to play with much more patience, methodically working their way through the flow of the game to score goals.
Canada has the clear edge, but it’s the unpredictability of Bafana Bafana that makes this one closer than their +400 underdog odds suggest.
Hugo Broos praised his team for adjusting its defensive intensity against South Korea and using longer passes to set up their forwards in space. The result was a gutsy, hallmark win that qualified them for this stage of the tournament for the first time.
Although Bafana Bafana began group play 0-2, they have surrendered only three goals throughout the group stage. Which version of Broos’ team shows up will also dictate this outcome.
It was only a couple of weeks ago that Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane each picked up red cards against Mexico.
While South Africa’s strategy will likely be to hold back its defense and examine, Canada is also content to play the waiting game. The explosive nature of David, along with the activity of Promise David and Tani Oluwaseyi, could be what pushes them through to the round of 16.
The health of Alphonso Davies remains in question, as Jesse Marsch admitted he used Davies’ bench status as a decoy in their match against Switzerland, but the captain should be ready for this monumental contest.
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David remains the spark for the Reds’ offense following his otherworldly performance against Qatar. With all eyes on Canada’s sole shot creator, it’s important to note that six of South Africa’s last seven games have gone under.
These two teams rely on slow-building possession and a defensive approach to create opportunities.
If this game were being played North of the Border, the confidence level would be much higher, but I expect Canada to prevail and strike to halt South Africa’s underdog run.
The Play: Canada to win and under 3.5 goals to be scored (+115, BetMGM Sportsbook)
Mike Turay is a sports journalist and editor who closely follows the NBA, NFL, college sports and UFC. He has demonstrated expertise in both NBA and NFL player prop bets for nearly three years. Mike is also highly knowledgeable about the sportsbook offer landscape, frequently trying and reviewing the latest apps and sites.
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