It was standing room only at the Lobby in Regina on Saturday, as dozens of Canadian soccer fans crammed into the space to cheer on their team. One onlooker even brought in a drum to rouse the crowd with chants of “Let’s Go Canada!” The first half of the match was a bright spot for the Canadians, as they took on the sixth-ranked team in the world in Morocco. Canada was on the front foot, dictating the pace of play and even had a few Grade A chances to net the game’s first goal, but couldn’t convert on their chances and the halftime score read 0-0. It would be all Morocco in the final 45 minutes and change of the match. To the chagrin of the many supporters inside the Lobby, the Moroccans would convert on their very first shot on goal of the game. A free kick cross to just outside of the box from Achraf Hakimi was booted past a diving Maxime Crepeau by Morocco’s Azzedine Ounahi. That would be his first of two tallies on the day, adding a second 82nd minute on a transition break to put a stake into the hearts of Canadian fans in Regina and around the country. Soufiane Rahimi would complete the scoring for Morocco in the 98th minute to make the final score 3-0. Despite the loss and the round of 16 exit, Canadian fans were still proud of the effort put forth by the team in their best ever result at a World Cup to date. “We have lots to be proud about, and we had a whole bunch of firsts: first point, first goal, first multi goal game. It was the first time in the knockout stage, first win in the knockout stage,” said Voyageurs President Rob Notenboom. A Regina business owner, Notenboom attended all three of Canada’s group stage matches in person in Toronto and Vancouver but said it was important to be at the Lobby for Saturday’s watch party, citing the fact that they have supported the Voyageurs and been a hub for soccer fans for 15 years. While the loss stings in the moment, Notenboom said he is already looking ahead to the team’s potential in the 2030 World Cup. “We’ve got players playing in top leagues all around the world. We’ve got a whole bunch of younger teenagers, 20 somethings that are up and comers. I think we’re going to stay strong and we’re going to continue to be strong, we’re a good team and I think we’ve put the world on notice a little bit, which is great. I just hope it continues.”
