After a thrilling Concacaf Nations League campaign, French Guiana kicks off its Gold Cup qualification quest against Sint Maarten in the Prelims and with a victory would later face the winner of Curacao-St. Kitts and Nevis for a place in the 2023 group stage.

French Guiana is still seeking its first-ever Gold Cup win, bowing out of the 2017 Gold Cup at the group stage and having fallen just short of a Prelims round victory over Trinidad and Tobago in 2021.

That contest ended in a 1-1 draw, and the teams went to sudden death from the spot after still being knotted up in the first five. T&T eventually got the edge, winning the shootout 8-7 and moving on.

The goalscorer in that game, FW Arnold Abelinti returns, as does FW Joe Sarrucco, fresh off a Concacaf Nations League campaign in which he scored four goals.

Other players who have been stalwarts for the team, including veteran MF Ludovic Baal and GK Donovan Leon, who made 21 stops in the previous tournament, also will help Jean-Claude Darcheville’s squad’s push toward the tournament.

Sloan Privat, Arnold Abelinti and Roy Contout are the country’s top Gold Cup scorers with a goal each, including Abelinti’s score in the 1-1 draw versus Trinidad and Tobago in the 2021 Prelims.

Abelinti also heads up a group of three players who have the most Gold Cup games played with four, sharing that distinction with Rhudy Evans and Gregory Lescot.

Les Yana Dokos no doubt will take inspiration from their CNL efforts, finishing second in Group D and falling just short of Guatemala for direct qualification to the group stage.

Part of that run was a 2022 that saw the team lose just one of eight matches played. While 2023 has proved a stiffer challenge, Darcheville’s team will feel it is headed in the right direction - toward the Gold Cup group stage.