KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Joseph and Jason Kaiya know they will be outnumbered when they arrive at Kansas City Stadium to watch Colombia take on Ghana in the FIFA World Cup 2026.
"There's gonna be a lot of Colombia fans," Joseph told me at FIFA Fan Fest Kansas City on Friday afternoon. "We'll be in a sea of yellow and make a lot of noise."
Joseph and Jason, who are originally from Kenya and currently live in Minnesota, were hoping Portugal would play a game here in Kansas City — but Portugal finished behind Colombia in Group K, which put them in a different part of the bracket.
While repping Portugal jerseys, the father-son duo is also rooting for Ghana, a country that has reached the Round of 16 only twice in its history at the World Cup (2006 and 2010).
"To be honest, we don't expect them to win," Joseph said. "But if they win, it's gonna be an upset."
Still, the reasoning for backing Ghana is simple for both of them.
"We're rooting for an African team, who are underdogs," Joseph said. "That's the whole idea."
"We would like for another African team to advance," Jason said. "We're hoping for the best."
I asked both men about their experience in Kansas City so far, and they say the city has passed this World Cup test with flying colors.
"It looks like you guys have done this before," Joseph said, referencing how organized Kansas City International Airport is, as thousands are flying in and out of the city for the biggest soccer tournament in the world.
"It's been efficient, it's been great," Jason said. "Everybody's so friendly."
Jason was "skeptical" about how the city would handle the amount of traffic that Fan Fest would bring, but he was relieved once he got in with his dad Wednesday.
"This place is massive," Jason said. "It's awesome in here, definitely a great atmosphere."
Both Joseph and Jason will be in attendance for Friday's Round of 32 match at Kansas City Stadium between Colombia and Ghana. The match is set to start at 8:30 p.m.
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