TO each other, they’re family.
To the FANCA Nations World Cup 2026, they’re a team.
The Khan family, Afroz, his wife, Farzana, and daughter, Ariba, will proudly represent Canada in their respective sports at the FANCA event in Nadi.
Afroz will represent Canada’s Legends football team.
Farzana and Ariba will represent Canada in netball, with Farzana playing for the Women’s Masters team and Ariba in the Premier team.
The duo picked up the sport in school, Farzana in her younger years represented Lautoka Muslim College in Fiji, and Ariba, who was born in Canada played for her school team.
“To represent Canada is an honour,” said Farzana, with a nod of approval from Ariba.
It is the first time Canada is being represented in netball, and the excitement is at fever pitch as the two will step onto a basketball court in Fiji, and make the roots proud.
“Team morale is very high as we have trained so hard and look forward to the tournament.”
For Afroz, FANCA also brings back memories of his playing days in the inaugural FANCA Nations World Cup 1997, in Vancouver.
Canada beat Fiji 1-0 in the opening game, where he played a pivotal role, but the team eventually lost 2-1 in the final.
Fiji had players like, Abdul Mannan, Feroz Khalil, Iqbal Khan, Samir Ali, Arif Khan, Imtiaz Khan, Saiyad Ali and others.
In Fiji, Afroz represented Rewa and was part of the 1994 Battle of the Giants (BOG) winning team, which won on a no-contest against Ba.
He played alongside Ravuama Madigi and Abdul Mannan, who are regarded among the best footballers of their generation.
Now part of Canada’s Legends team and the only surviving member of the 1997 silver medal winning team, Afroz believes the squad assembled is capable of mounting a serious challenge.
“We have a very good team and have a high chance of winning,” he said.
“We haven’t had this many good players in the Legends team for FANCA before.”
Afroz is likely to feature in midfield but since he has a good pair of hands, he could alternate positions and play in goal depending on the team’s needs.
For the Khan family, FANCA is more than competition.
It is a shared family journey, reconnecting with the FANCA community and celebrating the moments with friends and family.
