Bafana Bafana legend Doctor Khumalo says as much as the team has to worry and give their next opponents at the 2026 FIFA World Cup Canada respect, the co-hosts should also worry about South Africa.
Bafana defeated South Korea 1-0 in the final Group A match in Monterrey last Thursday to finish second in the pool with four points to book a historic place in the knockout phase of the tournament.
Canada finished second in Group B also with four points to set up the meeting with Bafana in Los Angeles on Sunday. Hugo Broos’ charges have already faced one of the host nations in Mexico in the opening game of the tournament where they lost 2-0 with nine men.
But Khumalo believes Bafana have shaken off the jitters of coming face to face with a host and that they can repeat the feat and go to the Last-16 round.
“I think we don’t have to disrespect them,” said the former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder on SABC3.
“We’ve played, we’ve been there to play a host nation. Ronwen [Williams] pointed out that maybe it was nerves [vs Mexico], boys were not themselves, the crowd.
“But they’ve played against Mexico and they are going to play against Canada now and I’d like believe that they cannot fault after what they’ve gone through, after what they’ve done because they are the only ones that can spoil it.
“But having said that, they are the only ones that can make us proud again.
“It’s just for us to rally behind them and whatever Canada posses, whatever Canada plays we will be there and dish a South African way.
“So I don’t like going to a country or to a team worrying about them, they must also worry about us.”