Canada booked their place in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 after Stephen Eustaquio scored a dramatic stoppage-time winner in a hard-fought 1-0 victory over South Africa in Los Angeles on Sunday.

The Round of 32 encounter appeared destined for extra time as both sides struggled to create clear-cut opportunities in a tense contest. However, Eustaquio produced the decisive moment in the second minute of added time, firing home from the edge of the area to send the co-host nation through to the next stage.

Canada, playing in front of a passionate crowd, enjoyed much of the possession but found South Africa difficult to break down. Their best opening in the first half was cleared off the line, while a penalty appeal involving Richie Laryea was waved away after a VAR review.

South Africa defended resolutely throughout the match and looked set to take the contest into extra time. Goalkeeper Ronwen Williams and the backline frustrated the Canadians for long periods, but they were ultimately undone by Eustaquio’s late strike.

Canada were also boosted by the return of captain Alphonso Davies, who made his comeback from injury as a second-half substitute. The victory marks the first time Canada have progressed beyond the opening knockout round at a FIFA World Cup.

The co-hosts will now face either the Netherlands or Morocco in the Round of 16 on July 4, while South Africa’s campaign comes to an end despite their historic run to the knockout stage.

India head coach Gautam Gambhir has come under scrutiny following India’s surprising 0-2 defeat in the two-match T20I series against Ireland, with criticism emerging from both former cricketers and Iceland Cricket.

India suffered a 34-run defeat in the opening T20I before Ireland completed a historic series sweep by winning the second match as well. The result marked one of India’s most unexpected bilateral T20 series losses in recent years.

Soon after the series concluded, Iceland Cricket, known for its witty social media posts, took a swipe at Gambhir. In a post on social media, the account sarcastically remarked on Gambhir’s coaching methods following India’s disappointing performance. The comments quickly gained traction among cricket fans online.

Former India batter and commentator Sanjay Manjrekar also questioned some of the decisions taken by the team management during the Ireland tour. Manjrekar had earlier expressed disappointment over teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi not being included in the playing XI despite India’s struggles in the series. He termed the move as not being a “good cricketing call”.

The exclusion of Sooryavanshi became a major talking point during the series, particularly after India lost the first game. The 15-year-old remained on the bench for both matches despite widespread expectations of a possible debut.

The series defeat has intensified discussions around India’s team selection and tactical approach under Gambhir, with fans and experts debating the decisions taken during the tour.

Teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has generated immense excitement ahead of India’s T20I series against Ireland, but a place in the playing XI is far from certain as team management weighs the importance of maintaining a settled combination.

The 15-year-old left-handed batter, who enjoyed a remarkable rise through domestic and franchise cricket, has been included in India’s T20I squad for the Ireland and England tours. However, fitting him into the starting XI presents a significant selection challenge.

Crowded top order creates selection headache

India already have several established opening options in the squad, including Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan. Bringing Sooryavanshi into the side would likely require dropping one of the current top-order batters, many of whom have already delivered strong performances for the national team.

Ahead of the Ireland series, India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak stressed that players who have been consistently performing should not be sidelined unfairly merely to accommodate new entrants. He added that competition for places is healthy and every player should wait for the appropriate opportunity.

The approach reflects head coach Gautam Gambhir’s emphasis on prioritising the team’s overall balance rather than making changes solely because of public demand or hype surrounding a player.

Sooryavanshi’s rapid rise continues

Despite uncertainty over his immediate debut, Sooryavanshi remains one of India’s brightest young prospects. The Bihar batter has impressed across age-group cricket, domestic competitions and the IPL, where his fearless strokeplay attracted widespread attention.

With India set to play a packed white-ball schedule, opportunities are expected to come for the youngster, even if he does not feature in the opening T20I against Ireland.