Canada have received a major boost before their 2026 Fifa World Cup last 32 clash with South Africa at the Los Angeles Stadium on Sunday at 9pm with the return of captain Alphonso Davies.
The Bayern Munich defender missed all Canada’s three group stages against Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar and Switzerland with a hamstring injury, but coach Jesse Marsch said he has been declared fit.
“We have Alphonso back, healthy and ready to perform,” said Marsch during his pre-match press conference at the match venue on Saturday.
“It’s a big moment and boost for the team. I think all the players that came into camp with injuries are close to 100% and ready to perform at the highest level.”
Marsch added that Davies worked with his personal trainer Matthias Blankenburg and Canada’s medical team in his race against time to be fit.
“He has been helping to get me back to full fitness, and he has done a good job. I continue to work with him and to be healthy and fit,” said Davies.
“At the beginning of the injury, Canada and Bayern Munich sat together and came up with a plan on how it is going to look for the rest of the tournament, and there has been good communication from both sides,” he said, adding it was not easy watching matches from the sidelines.
“It has been painful. The only thing you want is to play football, because that’s what I am passionate about. The first game I was eager to get on to the pitch, and the second game even more so.
“The third game, I asked the coach if I could get a couple of minutes; he could have said, ‘Go in there,’ but he cares about me and the team. He sat me down and explained that I have not gone through all the processes to get back.
“It was hard to hear that, but it was the right thing to do. All I want is to play football and contribute to the team on the pitch. It was hard to watch three games, and I felt too much pressure.
“We play sport and injuries are going to happen, and for me, when you have three hamstring injuries back-to-back, your confidence is going to take a dip. You start overthinking in terms of whether to push or do something else.”
Marsch said Davies is a key player for them in defence and on attack.
“He is a big X-factor for the team because he is such a massive talent, and he is explosive in transitions and he is a good footballer. We have talked about using him from left-back, which is what I have done more.
“But you can also use him in the midfield and in an attacking manner and get the best out of him. He makes us even better, but even more so, what I have said to him is that he has an effect on the team.
“His teammates believe in him, and his availability changes what the potential of our team is and what we can do at this tournament. The whole idea was can we get stronger as the tournament progresses and opponents get tougher.
“For that, we need to have our best players available, and that’s what we have now.”
Canada’s failure to win their group has denied them playing this match at home, and Davies said they have to deal with whatever is in front of them.
“Anywhere a player plays, whether it is in front of a home crowd, there is no pressure because we know our jobs. We want to play as a team; there is no pressure on anybody. This is a team sport, and you need 26 guys to pull through.”
Looking ahead of the South African match, Marsch is expecting a tough game.
“We are expecting South Africa to be intensive because it is a big moment for their federation. Coach Hugo Broos has done a good job of preparing and getting them to be at their best.
“Especially after the first match where they picked up two red cards against Mexico and they stayed strong in the tournament and found a way to get better as they went on.
“We are very clear with their qualities and what to expect from them. It is also a moment for us because we want to be at our best. We talked a lot about being stronger as the tournament continued.”
TimesLIVE
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