Bafana mounted one of the most gutsy defences yet seen, keeping Canadians out until normal time's final moment sealed their fate.
Mbekezeli Mbokazi (left) Aubrey Modiba (centre) and Thalente Mbatha show their disappointment after Canada’s stoppage time goal on Sunday. Picture: Gavin Barker/BackpagePix
It’s fair to say Bafana Bafana mounted one of the most gutsy defences yet seen in the 2026 Fifa World Cup against Canada.
Captain Ronwen Williams and his defenders kept out wave after wave of Canadians. Until they didn’t.
In the dying moment of normal time, though, Canada got the goal they needed to boot them into the round of the last 32.
Our national team certainly didn’t disgrace themselves – especially as many, including the Canadians – thought the result would be a forgone conclusion.
But what our boys didn’t do – and they must still be having sleepless nights because of this – was make enough offensive forays of their own.
Sadly, games are won by balls in the back of the net and not by heroic defending, spectacular though that may be at times.
Yet, it would be churlish not to acknowledge that, having gone where no SA football team has gone before, this Bafana side gave the country some sublime moments.
Moments to dream, sure, but moments to savour none the less.
That makes the loss – by a solitary goal – harder to swallow because we know that if our players had been a little less cautious, we might still be partying now.
