Hundreds of Ghana fans surprise FIFA World Cup team at Toronto hotel
The northeast corner of Lower Simcoe and Bremner Boulevard turned into a celebration on Monday night as hundreds of Ghanaian soccer fans gathered to welcome their beloved Black Stars to Toronto.
Ghana's national team arrived in the city ahead of its FIFA World Cup opening Group K match against Panama on Wednesday, and the players were greeted with a traditional jama celebration outside their downtown hotel.
Fans began gathering outside the hotel a few hours before the team bus arrived, singing and cheering to help pass the time and build anticipation. When the team bus pulled in around 6 p.m. on Monday evening, the fans erupted.
When the team got off the bus, Ghana's former captain and all-time leading scorer, Asamoah Gyan, joined supporters outside the hotel and led a light jama session of his own.
For those unfamiliar with jama, it's a style of group singing and chanting, accompanied by dancing and percussion, that's popular among Ghanaian soccer supporters.
The fact that hundreds of supporters greeted the team in Toronto isn't surprising, given that an estimated 28,000 Canadians of Ghanaian descent live in Ontario.
That passion should carry through to the game and the FIFA Fan Festival on Wednesday.
Ghana is also one of three West African nations scheduled to play matches in Toronto during the tournament. Ivory Coast will face Germany this weekend, while African powerhouse Senegal takes on Iraq next week.
Before Ghana's opening match against Panama, the team will first hold a training session at Centennial Park in Etobicoke on Tuesday night.
After Wednesday's game, the Black Stars will head to Boston for a showdown with England, while Panama will remain in Toronto to face Croatia on June 23.
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