Stephen Eustáquio delivered one of the most dramatic moments of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on June 28, unleashing a volley from outside the penalty area in the 92nd minute to hand Canada a 1-0 victory over South Africa at SoFi Stadium. The goal, struck with South Africa on the brink of forcing extra time, sealed a historic win for the tournament co-hosts and brought Bafana Bafana’s campaign to a sudden and painful close.
The result carries significant historical weight for Canada. It represented the nation’s first-ever victory in a FIFA World Cup knockout fixture, confirming Jesse Marsch’s side in the Round of 16. Canada will next face either Morocco or the Netherlands in that stage, marking another milestone for a programme that has grown considerably on the international stage in recent years.
For South Africa, the manner of the elimination added a layer of heartbreak to what had otherwise been a remarkable tournament run. Bafana Bafana had entered the competition as co-hosts alongside Canada and Mexico, and their progression to the knockout rounds generated widespread admiration across the football world. The team had also made history earlier in the tournament as the first nation to play a World Cup match and the first to contest a knockout fixture at this edition of the competition.
The conclusion of South Africa’s campaign, however, quickly drew a different kind of attention online. The long-running rivalry between Nigerian and South African football supporters — which had been simmering throughout the tournament — surfaced prominently on the X platform within minutes of the final whistle. Nigerian social media users flooded the platform with posts referencing the “Go Bek” phrase, a mocking reference to a widely circulated expression associated with South African xenophobic sentiments directed at other African nationals.
One post that gained significant traction read: “Go bek home banana banana 😂😂😭” — shared by user @TSpursfan on June 28, 2026. The phrase rapidly became a trending topic on X, with further reactions ranging from satirical memes to pointed commentary on the timing of Eustáquio’s decisive strike.
User @Kaypoisson1 wrote: “Canada just told South Africa to go bek home. The fact that the goal came in the 90th minute to break the hearts of South Africans was Poetic. Stephen Eustaquio, you did it for the rest of Africa.” Another post from @the_marcoliboy noted: “South Africa were the 1st team to play a game, 1st team to play a knockout game and now the 1st team to go berk to their kentry.”
The online reaction reflects a broader tension that has persisted between Nigerian and South African fan communities, rooted in part in historical incidents of xenophobic violence in South Africa that have periodically targeted Nigerian nationals and other African migrants. While the social media responses were largely satirical in tone, they drew on that underlying context.
From a purely footballing perspective, South Africa’s exit closes a chapter on a World Cup run that exceeded many pre-tournament expectations. Bafana Bafana’s participation as hosts had generated considerable national pride, and their ability to reach the knockout stage represented a significant achievement for African football on home soil — or at least on the North American continent that served as the tournament’s base.
With Canada advancing, attention now turns to the Round of 16 fixture, where Marsch’s side will look to extend the nation’s historic run further into the tournament.
