City flyer winning World Cup fitness race

Norwich City flyer Ali Ahmed is winning his World Cup fitness battle.

The 25-year-old has missed co-hosts’ Canada’s two warm up friendlies against Uzbekistan and the Republic of Ireland with the hamstring injury suffered on the final day of the Championship season at Hull.

Ahmed is a key player for Jesse Marsch’s squad, with wing rival Marcelo Flores ruled out of the tournament due to an ACL injury and Bayern Munich star, Alphonso Davies, expected to miss Friday’s opener against Bosnia with a hamstring issue.

Former Leeds coach Marsch expects Ahmed to return to team training in the coming days.

“I think Ali Ahmed will be back this week,” he said. “He might not be ready to start (against Bosnia), but he’ll be back.”

Ahmed will fulfil a lifetime’s ambition to feature for Canada, who kick-off in his hometown of Toronto and also play in Vancouver, where he starred for the Whitecaps prior to his mid-winter move to Norwich.

The 25-year-old was an instant hit at Carrow Road, with four goal contributions in his first three Championship games.

Ahmed has now opened up on his challenging football journey on the eve of the World Cup – which included failed trials in his teens in Portugal, the Netherlands and England - and what it means to represent both Canada and his family’s African roots.

“It is the pinnacle of international football. We’re all so excited to represent this beautiful country together. It is amazing. No words can describe the feeling of playing in two home stadiums,” he said, interviewed by Canadian broadcaster, CTV News. “There is nothing better than experience. Playing in something like the Copa America (2024) brought pressure to perform, but in these type of tournaments there is no better way to test yourself. Experience is the best teacher.

“A lot of Canadian players have that European dream, and when you hear about a chance to play in a country like Portugal you don’t think twice. I was sharing a bedroom with four or five strangers but I wanted it so bad. In the hostels you don’t even have your own washroom. Things like that make you appreciate where you are at now.

“As much as a I represent Canada, and love Canada, my parents come from Ethiopia and that is also a big part of who I am and my identity. That is my parents’ culture and how I was raised.”

Canada’s World Cup campaign begins on Friday against Bosnia before they play 2022 hosts Qatar and Christian Fassnacht’s Switzerland.

Ahmed is the first of five City players set to feature at the global showpiece. Kenny McLean’s Scotland and Mo Toure's Australia kick-off their quest on Sunday (UK time), with Anis Ben Slimane’s Tunisia playing Sweden on Monday (UK time) and Jose Cordoba’s Panama meeting Ghana later next week.