Canadian men assured of best World Cup finish after beating South Africa

Fans across the country joyfully roared for Canada after it beat South Africa 1-0 in a nail-biting FIFA World Cup knockout stage match in Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon.

At FIFA Fan Festivals in Toronto and Vancouver, fans jumped in the air, hugged and hollered as Stephen Eustaquio scored in stoppage time to vault the Canadians through to the round of 16.

In Montreal, fans watching the game outside cafés and bars clapped and started singing “Ole!” as Canadian players celebrated their win on the field.

Canada got a boost in the 75th minute when captain Alphonso Davies came on for Tajon Buchanan, marking the first time the Bayern Munich star has played in the tournament.

Canada will next face the winner of a round-of-32 matchup between the Netherlands and Morocco in Houston on July 4.

Many Canadians have supported their team at every step of the tournament so far, packing both BC Place and Toronto Stadium, turning roads into rivers of red-and-white flags and spending hours outside hotels to catch a glimpse of the players.