‘One with the crowd’: Victoria youth find home at the World Cup

‘One with the crowd’: Victoria youth find home at the World Cup

Published 11:50 am Monday, June 29, 2026

ICA youth members Hussein Obid, Salih Hussein Ibrahim, Aniq Halfani, and Eman Al Kahwaji fly the Egyptian flag from the rooftop of the ICA office. The group recently attended Egypt’s June 21 match in Vancouver through a donated ticket program. (Tony Trozzo/Victoria News)

Hussein Obid didn’t need to see the ball hit the net.

With Egyptian superstar Mohamed Salah cutting towards the edge of the 18-yard box in the 67th minute inside BC Place, the 18-year-old leaned toward his friends. “He’s going to score.”

About 10 seconds later, he did.

It turned out to be the game-winner in Egypt’s 3-1 victory over New Zealand, the country’s first-ever World Cup win, and set off a roar inside the sold-out stadium of 52,497 fans.

“Everybody was yelling, screaming,” Obid said. “I felt it. I would never forget that moment.”

Obid was one of eight youth from the Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria (ICA) who attended the match in Vancouver on June 21 through the BC Place Community Benefit Program. The group was among 50 community organizations across B.C. selected for the expanded program, which distributed 500 tickets in total.

With limited spots available, the ICA utilized a draw system to determine which youth members would get to attend the game.

The scoreboard at BC Place displays a sold-out attendance of 52,497 during the June 21 FIFA World Cup match between Egypt and New Zealand. (Photo courtesy of Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria)

Having moved to Victoria four years ago after living in Syria and Turkey, Obid had long felt the idea of attending a World Cup match was completely out of reach.

“When I saw the tickets and how expensive they are, I kind of lost hope,” he said. “Soccer is my dream. It’s my thing.”

Inside BC Place, the scale of the moment hit immediately.

“I just looked around me, and there’s this many people cheering,” Obid said. “I can’t describe it. It’s really amazing.”

Aniq Halfani experienced it in a different way.

The 20-year-old University of Victoria biology student, who moved from Tanzania after previously living in Toronto, admits his own soccer career is limited.

“I have asthma, so I’m not really very intense into it, but I can kick a ball,” Halfani said with a laugh.

Despite that, the atmosphere inside the stadium pulled him in completely.

“It was really intense, but then I felt one with the crowd, with the cheering and the happiness going on,” Halfani said.

“I even lost my voice after that match. I’ve always only seen videos on social media of people cheering, and being in that moment, it felt amazing.”

Before kickoff, the afternoon already carried a different weight for Eman Al Kahwaji.

As Egypt’s national anthem played, the 18-year-old incoming UBC chemistry student was reminded of home.

“When they were playing the national anthem, and I was singing with them, I started to remember being in school in Egypt because we used to sing the national anthem every day,” said the Victoria High graduate.

“Memory came back to me. I felt very nostalgic to Egypt, and I felt very proud that an Arab country had made it this far.”

The World Cup trip served as an extension of the community Al Kahwaji and her peers have built through the ICA, an organization that provides a vital anchor for local newcomers.

“Throughout ICA I got to try lots of different activities and experiences which really helped with shaping my character and views,” Al Kahwaji said.

“Meeting lots of people with shared backgrounds was very nice, not just people from my country, but immigrants from other countries.”

Youth from the Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria gather together at BC Place for the June 21 World Cup match in Vancouver. (Photo courtesy of Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria)

Salih Hussein Ibrahim knows the local sports landscape well. The Grade 12 student used to play for Victoria High School and hopes to crack a local U-21 roster this year.

But stepping into a World Cup environment was something he never expected when his family first arrived from Ethiopia 10 years ago.

“The World Cup is different. A lot of people, a lot of fans, it’s way different than small games,” Ibrahim said.

“It was like a dream come true to watch a World Cup game and support a team I like, Egypt. I never thought I was going to be here.”

Obid summed up the afternoon by pointing to the meaning of the game itself.

“It’s not just a sport,” he said. “It unites people together from all over the world. I will never forget the moments.”

Egypt will now play Australia on July 3 in the Round of 32.

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