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Nearly 5,000 fans joined in on a Toronto parade and FIFA World Cup festivities in the city’s downtown core ahead of the Germany versus Ivory Coast match taking place this afternoon.
In a post to social media, Toronto police warned residents of delays and temporary road access restrictions. In an update Saturday afternoon, Toronto police said the fan march had finished and roads were reopen.
Germany supporters marched by Toronto’s waterfront from Amsterdam Brewhouse to Coronation Park in a soccer tradition before major international games.
Many Ivory Coast supporters are also expected to fill Toronto Stadium, wearing their team’s orange jerseys.
Ivory Coast players arrived in Toronto with striker Elye Wahi after the 23-year-old was cleared to enter Canada — a boost for the team. There had been uncertainty over his availability for today’s match because he is under investigation in France for alleged betting-related offences.
The Ivorians opened the tournament with a 1-0 win over Ecuador, while Germany routed Curaçao 7-1 in its first match.
Toronto is set to host its third World Cup match on Saturday afternoon as Germany and Ivory Coast square off. CBC’s Dale Manucdoc speaks to fans about what’s at stake.
Ivory Coast fan Yannick Logbo said he was looking forward to see the team defeat Germany later today.
He said there is a large, “electric” Ivory Coast fanbase in Ontario, with many meeting at the fan zone in Milton, Ont.
As he headed to Toronto Stadium today, Robert Iacobucci said he tried several times to finally get his tickets.
“World Cups: how often do they come here? You [have] got to support the team,” he said, adding that growing up he loved watching former Ivory Coast player Didier Drogba.
“It was priority number one, getting tickets to this game.”
Robert Faltermeier, who is from Germany, is in town for the game. He says he hopes his home country team will win, but he’s not overly confident, even with the team’s result in the game against Curaçao.
“We will see,” he said. “Now we have somebody better against us.”
Faltermeier told CBC Toronto he’s been in Toronto for two days and so far, so good. When asked what he’s been up to since he arrived, he laughed and jokingly told CBC Toronto he’s been “beer-drinking.”
“Very nice, very friendly, everything is good,” Faltermeier said, as he shook hands with an Ivory Coast supporter.
German exchange student Luca Henseler has been living in the Greater Toronto Area for five months. He’s going back home in just a couple of days.
“We just went here, we don’t even have tickets but we just wanted to be close to the national team,” he said.
15-year-old Henseler was heading to Nathan Phillips Square for a watch party.
“I’m so excited for Toronto to host the World Cup,” he said, adding it’s nice to hear people around speaking German. “I’ve never been in a city that’s actually hosting the World Cup, at least while I’m alive. So, we are extremely happy.”
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