Canada capped off the first edition of the Canadian Shield with a trophy lift in front of a home crowd, despite falling 5–4 to Côte d’Ivoire in a post-match penalty shootout.
A goalless draw at full time was enough to see head coach Jesse Marsch’s side finish atop the four-team table, edging out New Zealand, Ukraine, and Côte d’Ivoire for top spot.
Tuesday night’s match at Toronto’s BMO Field – which saw a crowd of 18,489 – was short on attacking highlights. But the friendly tournament, which included a win over Ukraine Saturday, has helped the Canadian men gain some momentum heading into this month’s Concacaf Gold Cup.
Marsch rings changes as new faces get a look
Before the match, Marsch had hinted at fielding a completely different lineup from the one that beat Ukraine 4–2 on Saturday, and he stayed true to his word.
Only centre back Derek Cornelius retained his spot, with Cyle Larin captaining a heavily rotated squad that included first-time starters Daniel Jebbison and Jayden Nelson.
The 21-year-old Jebbison, who plies his trade with Bournemouth in the English Premier League, earned his third cap and looked every bit the rookie. Nelson, a Vancouver Whitecaps winger, was slightly more effective but faded as the match wore on.
Loading ...Larin’s appearance was his 82nd for Canada, and his first as captain. Jonathan Osorio, meanwhile, moved into third place on the Canadian all-time caps list with his 85th appearance.
There was a sentimental moment too as midfielder Ismael Kone faced his birth nation, having spent the first seven years of his life in Abidjan before moving to Montreal.
Despite the fresh legs, the cohesion was lacking for Canada as the North Americans struggled to string passes together and failed to generate meaningful pressure.
Côte d’Ivoire dominate but lack the final product
Côte d’Ivoire entered the match needing a multi-goal win to leapfrog Canada for the tournament title. They started with urgency, forcing Dayne St. Clair into early action as the Canadian goalkeeper denied a stinging 21st-minute free kick from Nicolas Pepe.
A disallowed goal for offside by Joel Waterman in the 6th minute — which would’ve marked the first by a former CPL player for the national team — was Canada’s only real threat in the opening half.
Côte d’Ivoire were on the front foot throughout, with Canada forced into rash challenges and unable to control midfield tempo.
By the end of the first half, the stats painted a grim picture for the Canadians: no shots on target, six touches in the opposition box, two yellow cards, and just 41% possession.
Late subs inject energy but fail to shift result
Canada made a series of second-half changes to claw back control.
Niko Sigur came on at right back to steady possession, while Jonathan David, Tajon Buchanan, and Luc de Fougerolles were introduced in the final 15 minutes to add attacking spark.
Mathieu Choiniere, fresh off the birth of his child, and Tani Oluwaseyi also got minutes in a busy rotation night for Marsch.
The Canadians did show more intent late on — recording five shots in the second half — but none were on target. The clearest threat remained Côte d’Ivoire’s Pepe, who headed wide from close range in the 52nd minute and continued to trouble Canada’s backline.
Tensions boiled over in the 80th minute when Côte d’Ivoire’s head coach was sent off, adding to the edge of a match that felt far from a mere friendly.
A worrying sight came minutes later as Sam Adekugbe limped off injured — a potentially cruel twist after his long road back from previous setbacks.
Côte d’Ivoire win shootout, Canada win silverware
With the match ending 0–0 after 90 minutes, both sides lined up for a penalty shootout that served as a formality in determining final match points — not the tournament title.
The shootout did, however, offer valuable preparation for Canada ahead of potential knockout-stage moments in the Gold Cup.
Jonathan David, Mathieu Choiniere, Derek Cornelius and Ismael Kone all converted for Canada, but Tani Oluwaseyi and Luc de Fougerolles were denied by Ivorian goalkeeper Badra Ali Sangare.
On the other end, Côte d’Ivoire slotted home five of six penalties, with Mory Gbane the only one to miss.
Canada lost on penalties to Côte d’Ivoire after a scoreless draw in the Canadian Shield tournament at BMO Field in Toronto Tuesday, June 10, 2025. However, Canada still finished top of the tournament table, winning the friendly tournament. Photo: Indi Kumala/Total Soccer News
Still, the night belonged to Canada, who topped the tournament standings with four points — one clear of Ukraine and New Zealand, and two ahead of Côte d’Ivoire.
“I hope that going to Vancouver for a meaningful match versus Honduras, I want to challenge that community to come out and support this team and be behind the movement in every way,” said Marsch after the match.
Canada now shift their focus to the Concacaf Gold Cup, where they open Group B play on June 17 against Honduras in Vancouver, followed by matches against Curaçao (June 21) and El Salvador (June 24) in Houston.
