Canada fans in Vancouver are assembling to honour injured midfielder Ismaël Koné ahead of Wednesday’s crucial World Cup match against Switzerland at BC Place Stadium, where captain Alphonso Davies is expected to make his tournament debut.
The Voyageurs fan group says they’ll be waving thousands of Koné’s No. 8 at their march to the stadium in tribute to the player who suffered a broken leg in last week’s Qatar match.
Their march will set off at 10 a.m. PT from the intersection of Quebec and Central streets.
There’s much on the line for fans today, including whether Canada gets to enjoy a home-turf advantage in Vancouver again in the knockout rounds.
While Canada is all but certain of reaching the knockout phase after its 6-0 rout of Qatar last Thursday, a win or draw against Switzerland would keep the team on top of the group and bring them back to Vancouver on July 2.
Head coach Jesse Marsch has said he expects to bring Davies on at some stage today, after he was absent from Canada’s first two group-stage matches due to a hamstring injury.
Swiss fans — who are also decked out in red and white — are meanwhile assembling at Vancouver’s Olympic Village Square for their fan march to BC Place Stadium.
Switzerland’s consulate general in Vancouver is telling them on social media to have their red shirts ready, flags packed and “cowbells polished,” while urging their team on in trilingual fashion: “Hopp Schwiiz! Hop Suisse! Forza Svizzera!”
Prime Minister Mark Carney, who attended the Qatar game, is scheduled to attend today’s match too.
It’s the fourth match at BC Place, with the next game involving New Zealand and Belgium on Friday, before the round-of-32 knockout match on July 2, then a round-of-16 knockout on July 7.