Panama, Haiti learn Women’s World Cup Play-Off draw fate

MIAMI, Florida – The Draw for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Play-Off Tournament took place on Friday in which Concacaf sides Panama and Haiti learned whom their opponents will be in their quests to qualify for next year’s Women’s World Cup in Australia/New Zealand.

As the respective Third-Place finishers from their groups at the 2023 Concacaf W Championship in Monterrey, both Panama and Haiti have been slotted into the Play-Off Tournament, which begins on February 18 and will conclude five days later on February 23.

Haiti have been drawn into Group B, where they will begin their campaign with a semifinal contest against Senegal in Auckland, New Zealand on February 18. The winner of that match will advance to face Chile in the Group B Final in Auckland. The winner of the Group B Final will qualify for the Women’s World Cup.

Panama have been drawn into four-team Group C, beginning with a semifinal against Papua New Guinea on February 19 in Auckland.

Should Panama defeat Papua New Guinea, they would then face the winner of the other semifinal between Paraguay and Chinese Taipei in the Group C Final in Hamilton, New Zealand. The winner of the Final of Group C will qualify for the Women’s World Cup.

For both Haiti and Panama, it would be their first ever qualification for a Women’s World Cup, and they would join reigning Women’s World Cup champions the United States, Canada, Costa Rica and Jamaica as participants in next summer’s tournament.