Canada first into last 16 as Stephen Eustáquio scores in stoppage time against South Africa

Jesse Marsch clenched both fists and, for a split second, seemed to resist the temptation to charge on to the pitch to celebrate the goal that sent Canada into the last 16 of the World Cup . But then all hell broke loose, Marsch, some of his Canada staff and a raft of unused substitutes emptied on to the turf. Sixty-four seconds into at least five minutes of second-half stoppage time, Stephen Eustáquio chested a South Africa clearance and struck a sweet right-foot shot with his laces, the ball thudding into the bottom corner of the goal. It was undoubtedly deserved but for so long it was impossible to shake the sense that the game was heading for extra time, South Africa seemingly content to play the long game, showing little ambition on the ball. Their goalkeeper, Ronwen Williams, was frequently booed for retaining possession. For both teams, the very essence of being here, in the knockout stages, was a groundbreaking moment worth celebrating. As Hugo Broos, the South Africa head coach, outlined, getting to this point meant the tournament had been a success. “But once you are there, you want more,” said the 74-year-old, the oldest manager left in the competition, speaking on behalf of all of the Bafana Bafana supporters, most of whom arrived again more in hope than expectation. “Everybody said Bafana Bafana was a joke, nobody believed in it,” he said this week when reflecting on walking into the job in 2021. …