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The stadium witnessed a parade before the start of the match, with the participation of artists who performed during the opening ceremony, in a crowd atmosphere that accompanied the first appearance of the Canadian team in the tournament.
The opening ceremonies included performances by Canadian artists, including Michael Bublé, Alessia Cara, Jessie Reyes and William Prince, while Canadian music star Alanis Morissette performed the Canadian national anthem “O Canada” before the match.
In Vancouver, the PNE Coliseum, the highlight of the Official Fan Fest, began to fill with Canadian fans as the opening ceremonies began in Toronto. Some yellow and blue shirts for the Bosnian national team appeared, which sparked some mild booing among a large crowd of Canadian fans who wore red.
Outside the new stadium, which cost $183 million, Canadian national team fans expressed their hope that Canadian fans would be able to match the enthusiasm shown by Mexican fans after their team’s victory over South Africa on Thursday.
On the other hand, Bosnia and Herzegovina fans experienced a special atmosphere in the streets of Sarajevo before facing Canada, as flags were raised in the old city, and festive scenes appeared with the participation of children wearing national team shirts, in addition to scenes of Friday prayers hours before the start of the match.
