VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Ali Ahmed’s move from the Vancouver Whitecaps to English club Norwich ahead of this year’s MLS season did little to diminish his standing among local supporters.
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While the Canada midfielder was in Toronto for his team’s World Cup opener against Bosnia-Herzegovina, supporters who gathered at the fan festival at Freedom Mobile Arch in Vancouver erupted when Ahmed’s No. 20 flashed on the substitution board.
The fans chanted his name on multiple occasions as Ahmed turned in a respectable performance from the 61st minute on and contributed to his nation’s 1-1 draw.
“I was very impressed by his substitution. He was able to get across his man a lot,” said Adam Lovell, a member of a group of Canadian soccer supporters called The Voyageurs. “I think the home crowd will be definitely a determining factor in helping give him a lift.”
In the other Group B game, Switzerland was held to a 1-1 draw by Qatar , leaving all four teams even headed into the next set of matches. Canada will stay in Vancouver for the rest of the group stage, facing Qatar on Thursday and Switzerland on June 24.
“This is my home,” Ahmed said after his first training back in Vancouver. “Getting back in the building, sitting in the same changing room that I used to sit in for three years … I love this place.”
Ahmed added that he attended Vancouver’s first World Cup match, between Australia and Turkey , to cheer on Norwich teammate Mohamed Toure.
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As the Canadian men prepare for the eighth World Cup match in their history, the national team is still searching for its first victory on the sport’s biggest stage. With six losses in its previous six matches, the draw against Bosnia marked the country’s first World Cup point.
Ahmed understands what it would mean to help Canada secure that elusive first win in the stadium where his professional career began.
“I hope (the BC Place crowd) will be similar to Toronto, just all red. The stadium is closed, so it should be louder,” Ahmed said. “I’m used to a good crowd over here in BC. I know they love their soccer. We really hope that we can give the fans what they deserve.”
Ahmed won’t be the only former Whitecap to return to Vancouver for Canada. Six players on Canada’s squad have suited up for the Whitecaps, including team star Alphonso Davies, who is still recovering from a hamstring injury, and Richie Laryea, who had a brief loan stint in Vancouver before his return to Toronto FC.
“Knowing how well the Whitecaps are doing right now and how many local fans will want to come out,” Laryea said, “I think it’ll be a good atmosphere again.”
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Ben Kule is a student in the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.
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AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
