Morocco fans feel torn at Winnipeg watch party, with one saying it's like watching mom play dad

Morocco fans feel torn at Winnipeg watch party, with one saying it's like watching mom play dad

'My heart's kind of broken in two pieces,' says Hassan Chioua, who came to Canada when he was 17

Canada supporters in Winnipeg were hopeful when the team's World Cup round of 16 game still had no score at the half, but Moroccan fans danced and sang as their team started scoring in the second.

Ahmed Raaidi, who wore a Moroccan jersey but also clutched a Canadian flag at a watch party in Winnipeg, said it was like having to choose between your mother and your father.

"It was hard for us because we are in Canada," said Raaidi.

Canada was knocked out in the round of 16 and Morocco moves on with its 3-0 World Cup win on Saturday.

Morocco supporters in Winnipeg gathered to watch at the Franco-Manitoban Cultural Centre, while a pro-Canada crowd cheered their side on at X-Cues' Cafe & Lounge.

Moroccan fans were still nervous after their side's first goal, but the atmosphere became jubilant after the second and third, with the crowd singing out a popular cheer to the sound of drums.

Raaidi, who came to Canada four years ago, is pleased that Canada put up such a good fight in the first half, although it was a relief when Morocco finally pulled ahead.

"We didn't imagine the game would be like that," he said. "We were surprised."

It was a tough game to watch for Hassan Chioua, who came to Canada when he was 17.

"My heart's kind of broken in two pieces," he said at the cultural centre. "My first home is Morocco, second home is Canada…. I even had tears in my eyes."

Canada scored the country's first goal in World Cup history during the tournament, then posted its first World Cup win, then moved from the group stage to the knockout round and into the round of 16.

That unprecedented run will do great things for the sport in the country, fans at both watch parties agreed.

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"I don't know why people underestimated Canada, but actually, Canada's a really good team," said Abey Solomon, who's lived in Canada for 30 years but is originally from Ethiopia.

He cheered for Canada at X-Cues' and was hopeful when the score was tied at zero at half time, a surprise to many watchers, because Morocco went into the World Cup ranked No. 7 in the world, while Canada was No. 30.

Solomon said he sees more kids out playing soccer in Winnipeg since the World Cup started.

"After the last World Cup, we progressed a lot," he said.

"After this World Cup, you watch the next one. The next generation is going to develop more soccer players."

Lara Schroeder is an online copy editor for CBC Manitoba who also writes and dabbles in radio. She started her career as a newspaper reporter, but writing habits nurtured by her English teacher dad and grammatically meticulous mom steered her toward editing. Her many jobs have included editing at the Toronto Star, the National Post, the Toronto Sun and the Winnipeg Free Press.