'A family reunion': Sask. soccer fans journey to Qatar for World Cup
'A family reunion': Sask. soccer fans journey to Qatar for World Cup
A group of Regina soccer fans made the journey to Qatar to cheer on Canada at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
With more than 250 million people playing in over 200 countries across the globe, soccer is regarded as the world’s most popular sport.
But for fans of Canadian soccer, they're watching their Cinderella team lace up in Qatar, in what has been called a once in a lifetime opportunity on the biggest stage in football.
Regina soccer fans, Rob Notenboom and Jordan Kelemen have been fans of the game for years, even going as far as joining a travelling fan group called “The Voyageurs.”
"It was loud, it came through on the broadcast … everybody was passionate,” Notenboom said, about his experience in Qatar.
“The team referred to the atmosphere as a home game."
For Kelemen, the atmosphere at the World Cup in Qatar has been remarkably welcoming.
"I don't know it’s just something about supporting your country, especially at the World Cup,” he explained.
“Its just unbelievable because everybody wants to win but people still want Canada to win it seems in Qatar."
Both Notenboom and Keleman said The Voyageurs have become a family and joining some of the members in Qatar has been surreal.
"It's kind of like a family reunion," Kelemen said.
"You could kind of feel that it kind was...we owned the place," Notenboom added.
Canada has never scored a goal in the World Cup.
However, Canada’s current team, with the likes of Alphonso Davies and Jonathon David, have the chance of making history. Something fans have been waiting for decades to see.
"We have the players that can do it,” Keleman told CTV News. “I think the biggest thing is some of our biggest players will run back and play on defence, and a lot of big players in other countries, that’s not really their style."
For Notenboom, any action from Canada will make dreams come true.
"First goal, first result, first win ... maybe first time to get out of the group? If we get out of the group and finish top two of the group we'll be in a dreamland," he said.
As for fans back at home, The Voyageurs are happy to see the spread in Regina.
"We've been going to The Lobby on Broad Street in Regina for years, sometimes there's five of us, sometimes 15," Notenboom explained.
"But for the Belgium game, it was packed."
With Team Canada’s performance against Belgium, Kelemen and Notenboom say that soccer fans around the world have a new found respect for Canada.
They expect to see even more fans showing off red and white on Sunday for Canada's second match of the tournament against Croatia.
The federal Liberals are withdrawing an amendment to their guns bill that introduced a controversial new definition of an assault-style weapon. The amendment would have defined what kind of firearms should be banned in Canada and added dozens of new semi-automatic rifles and shotguns to the list.
Medicago Inc., the Quebec-based drug manufacturer of a Canadian COVID-19 vaccine and other plant-based drugs, is being shut down by parent company Mitsubishi Chemical Group.
The Department of National Defence says Canada is working with the United States to protect sensitive information from foreign intelligence threats after a high-altitude surveillance balloon was detected.
Hundreds of customers who scan QR codes for restaurant menus across Canada are being surprised by secret menus instead, revealing the hidden costs behind the food they eat.
The post-apocalyptic TV adaptation of the video game The Last of Us has some wondering about the real-life possibility of a global pandemic caused by fungus, and one expert says it’s not a concept to dismiss.
Canada's egg industry appears to be quietly sidestepping widespread shortages and wildly spiking prices affecting other countries, and some say supply management is to thank.
British Columbia Premier David Eby says he's going into next week's health-care meeting between the premiers and prime minister with an open mind — and without a red line dollar ask for the federal government.
Big tech companies that offer online streaming services could soon be required to contribute to Canadian content as a controversial Liberal bill gets one step closer to becoming law.
Aaron Benneweis, 46, has been charged by Saskatoon Police with sexual assault and sexual exploitation of a minor while in a position of trust or authority.
A report written and reviewed by Saskatoon Water and the Transportation Department for the city found that no further actions will be made for creating a warning system for drivers when flooding on roads, caused by heavy rain storms.
The federal Liberals are withdrawing an amendment to their guns bill that introduced a controversial new definition of an assault-style weapon. The amendment would have defined what kind of firearms should be banned in Canada and added dozens of new semi-automatic rifles and shotguns to the list.
A former Edmonton Police Service officer believes bringing Alberta Sheriffs into downtown Edmonton is a risky plan that has the potential to backfire if not done properly.
The federal Liberals are withdrawing an amendment to their guns bill that introduced a controversial new definition of an assault-style weapon. The amendment would have defined what kind of firearms should be banned in Canada and added dozens of new semi-automatic rifles and shotguns to the list.
Helicopter video has captured the dramatic moment three people entered a Scotiabank east of Toronto during an alleged armed robbery before being swarmed by police as they tried to escape.
A Quebec woman’s eyes welled with tears as she picked up her stolen Audi from an Ontario auto shop, not far from where her car smashed through the glass doors of a mall in an 'audacious' theft.
With a wind warning in effect for Metro Vancouver, BC Ferries has cancelled at least two sailings scheduled for Friday and says nearly two dozen more may follow suit.
Mayor Ken Sim's A Better City Vancouver party spent nearly twice as much as any other party on last year's municipal elections, according to data released by Elections BC Thursday.
CTV News has learned that four of five RCMP officers facing charges in the death of an Indigenous man during an arrest in Prince George are still on active duty.
The Montreal fire department is advising people to avoid Sherbrooke Street East at Carignan Avenue in the Longue Pointe neighbourhood as a five-alarm fire is burning.
Hydro-Québec is asking its customers to take a few steps to reduce electricity consumption in Quebec as a period of intense cold weather began Thursday night in most regions. The utility predicts that on Friday and Saturday, electricity demand could exceed the historical peak consumption, which was about 40,500 megawatts (MW) in January 2022.
A beloved man who was a fixture on the streets of Montreal's Notre-Dame-de-Grace neighbourhood died last year from a combination of street drugs in his system, including fentanyl, a coroner has ruled.
A teenager in Nanaimo, B.C., is being hailed as a hero by his family after a would-be robber entered their business and the boy scared him off with a baseball bat.
The tight-knit community of Quadra Island, B.C., is grieving the death of 39-year-old Jessica McLaggan, whose death is being investigated as a homicide.
The Department of National Defence says Canada is working with the United States to protect sensitive information from foreign intelligence threats after a high-altitude surveillance balloon was detected.
Highway 11 in northern Ontario reopened Thursday afternoon after a collision involving several vehicles prompted police to close the road from Highway 66 near Kenogami Lake to Matheson for several hours.
The number of homes sold in January across Waterloo Region was “exceptionally low” with the region seeing a 41.9 per cent decrease in sales compared to January 2022.
