Omar Azhar may not watch Canada’s games, but he is a crucial part of them. In his role as a capo, he gets the supporters section going so the players on the field can feel their full support.
By Jakob Emil Kristensen
30-year-old Omar Azhar is a software developer by day and a capo by night. Photo: Jakob Emil Kristensen
In the cold, pouring rain 30-year-old Omar Azhar arrives at BMO Field. Two hours before the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal between Canada and Jamaica. He hardly hasn’t eaten anything; he never does on game days.
Inside the arena Omar greets his fellow members of The Voyageurs, Canada’s supporters’ group, and finds his spot. A stand in front of the crowd in section 114.
When the players walk onto the field, Omar turns towards the crowd with his hands in the air and starts humming a slow “ohh,” followed by “when the reds.” The crowd joins him.
Omar is a software developer. But when the Canadian national team plays, he is much more. He is a capo.
The Extra Mile
A capo is the person in charge of organizing the supporter’s section at soccer matches, but not in an administrational sense. The capo sets an example, chooses which songs to chant and gets the crowd going.
Omar calls it being a facilitator, making sure everyone is on the same page, and compares it to the conductor of an orchestra, but with a key difference.
“In an orchestra, people who are performing already have their sheets in front of them, they know what notes to play. What a capo does is that they shout out the first word and everyone knows; okay, we need to sing this.”
Just like a conductor Omar is facing his orchestra, the crowd, so he can read them, and know what will get them going. This means that he is not seeing the game itself, one of the things in life he loves the most.
“People who capo are people who go the extra mile. Because they are willing to turn their back to the game to express their support for the team.”
And the sacrifice doesn’t go unnoticed. One of the fans who feels the difference capos make is 26-year-old Chris Arsenault.
“There might be times where I feel exhausted, and I look up at the stand and see the person there giving it 110 percent and I am like: If they can do it, I can do it,” he says.
Despite being introverted Omar gets loud on the capo stand. Video: Jakob Emil Kristensen.
UH! AH! Canada!
Omar’s interest in soccer started in the United Arab Emirates. He was born in Pakistan but moved around the Middle East for most of his childhood.
When he was six years old, he was sitting in his room flipping the channels and suddenly landed on Fox Sports Australia. They were showing the 1999 UEFA Champions League final, where Manchester United beat Bayern Munich by scoring two goals in the final minutes.
“Everything about it captivated me. From the performances on the field, to the comeback, to the rising emotions that the fans were feeling, to the hope and inspiration they were giving to the players.“
Omar’s interest carried over when he moved to Canada for university. Having moved around his entire life, he has settled in Canada and now calls it home. To him the national team is a symbol of who he is.
“Team Canada’s identity is what my identity is in a way. Very international, yet through the diversity they find common ground and they find what it means to be truly Canadian. Which is the acceptance of such a diversity,” he says.
For the players…
“This is for your boys in red! Come on,” Omar Screams at the crowd at BMO field. Canada is struggling.
If Omar’s team is in a tough situation, like Canada is tonight, he thinks back on what he saw Manchester United’s fans do in 1999. Because even though Omar enjoys capoing, he doesn’t do it for himself.
“I don’t go up there to be famous. I am a very shy, introverted person in general. I am there to help the players on the field and push them to victory.”
…from the heart
At the game Omar has taken off his jacket and is only wearing a t-shirt in five degrees and pouring rain.
“I was literally starting to sweat,” he says.
Another person who has felt the heat of being a capo is 47-year-old Kevin Deniin. He has capoed for around seven years, but this is his last.
“There is an absolute toll that it takes on your body,” he says.
When Omar first started capoing in 2022 Kevin was his mentor. Kevin describes Omar as his prodigy.
“He just got this infectious energy,” he says, sounding like a coach describing his star player, “look at this kid, he went from minute one to minute ninety.”
Despite the hard work Omar does, he still buys his own ticket for the game. This is an important aspect for him. It means that the supporters are independent from the team and the federation and therefore can hold them accountable. It shines through in the chants as well.
“The problem with most North American chants is that they come from the teams. I want it to come from the heart. Soccer chants and songs are different because they come from us,” Omar says.
Omar always tries to socialize before the game to make everyone feel included. Photo: Jakob Emil Kristensen.
Was the performance also bad?
“Let’s give this one final push. They need us now more than ever,” Omar screams at the crowd, as Canada is behind 3-2 in the dying minutes of the game.
But it’s not enough. Canada falls to Jamaica, 4-4 on aggregate because of away goals.
After the game Omar meets up with a group of Voyagers outside of BMO field.
“Was the performance also bad?” he asks one of his fellow fans.
Normally he would watch the game when he gets home, but he is not sure today. The loss stings too much. Omar gets filled in on the details and the two friends start discussing the game, refs, VAR, and substitutions, like any other soccer fans.
“These things aren’t brand new. I have seen them before in various matches around the world,“ Omar says on how he participates in post-game discussions.
As the talk goes on in the shivering cold one thing bugs Omar more than anything.
“I am not going to see soccer again for another four months.”