Beijing Time (CEST) on June 29, during the Round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup, Canada defeated South Africa 1-0 thanks to a goal by Eustaquio in added time, qualifying for the Round of 16 for the first time in its history. Goalscorer Eustaquio stated in a post-match interview that he was delighted to see Alphonso Davies back on the pitch, and that he had put all his strength into the shot.

What does it feel like to make history?

I think we deserved it. We have a very special team, like brothers. When we fight for each other and play for each other, special things like this can happen.

I'm very happy, but at the same time, I don't want to say the work is done. We know we'll face Morocco or the Netherlands next, which will be a very difficult match. We hope that after watching this match, they'll find it very difficult to play against us next week. That's the effect we want.

After the final whistle, Marsch gave you a very passionate speech. What did he say? Also, do you think it's time for him to apply for Canadian citizenship?

I think he deserves all of it. He just told us to keep going. Obviously, we're heroes in this country now because this is the first time we've won a knockout match at the FIFA World Cup. But at the same time, we know we still have a lot of work to do. Sorry if I'm repeating myself, but we can't get carried away now. We need to stay humble, recover well, and we know we'll face a very strong team in six days. But at the same time, I think today we need to enjoy this moment because we've made everyone back home proud of us.

What did you think of such a tight match? Also, what was the impact of Alphonso Davies coming on as a substitute in terms of opening up space?

When he came on, I knew it would be a huge boost for the team. Obviously, he's one of the best players in the world, and one of the best left-backs in the world. He's our team's best player. It helps us a lot knowing he's fit and can push the team forward. The team also worked hard to make sure we could reach the knockout stage and give him a chance to play. So I'm pleased he's back.

As for the match, we knew South Africa was a very physical team. Their three midfielders were very tough and covered a lot of ground. They really caused us a lot of problems when they brought the ball into our box. I think we were very compact overall and also composed. Even though it didn't go the way we hoped, you could also see the pitch was a bit dry, which made the match slightly easier for them. But I think we deserved the win.

During the water break in the first half, you had animated discussions, and there were probably similar situations during the water breaks at half-time and in the second half. What were the main messages conveyed by the coach, coaching staff, and players at those moments?

I think we felt that set pieces could pose a threat for South Africa, and we also had some transition attacks. At the same time, we felt the opposition wasn't creating many chances, but they're a capable team and they only need one opportunity to score. So at that point, we were a bit frustrated because we hadn't scored yet, and if they kept pressing, they could score.

The coach just tried to calm everyone down and told the team to keep pushing. In the final minutes of the match, we knew the substitutes would make a difference, and we knew we'd keep pushing. You also saw Alphonso Davies come on, and Nico Siegrist also came on. Then Schäferberg delivered a cross, the ball deflected, and came to me. So everyone is important, and we need everyone.

Did you know how much time was left in the match? It looked like the match was heading to extra time. Can you describe what you felt when the ball bounced to you and you decided to shoot?

It was hard to see the time on that pitch; I don't think I could see the scoreboard. I never saw the clock, so I could only roughly gauge the time remaining from the water breaks. When I scored, I knew the match was almost over, and then we held on for another two or three minutes. We had to believe in ourselves, and I put all my strength into the shot.

Traduit par IA.

Le site web d'AF est désormais en ligne ! Actualités complètes, commentaires, détails des matchs et statistiques sur votre ordinateur. Visitez : www.allfootballapp.com