MIAMI, Florida – The First Round of Concacaf World Cup qualification continues on Friday with a slate of six games, many of which will go a long way toward deciding who lands in the second round later this month.
Saint Kitts and Nevis welcomes Guyana to Basseterre with the Sugar Boyz looking to preserve a perfect start to qualification and keep the inside track on winning Group F.
SKN’s Brazilian manager Leonardo Neiva is calling on several veterans who missed the team’s two wins in the March window, with West Brom midfielder Romaine Sawyers and Aldershot Town forward Harry Panayiotou back in the squad, while Guyana has its own returnees with QPR forward Stephen Duke-McKenna and Bolton defender Liam Gordon back, however Sam Cox is not in the squad after wearing the armband in March.
Antigua and Barbuda meet Grenada in a Group A clash with both teams able to go atop the group, at least temporarily, with a victory. Antigua and Barbuda got contributions from experienced attackers Peter Byers and Quinton Griffith in their last outing in a 3-0 win at U.S. Virgin Islands, and they’re once again in Head Coach Mikele Leigertwood’s squad, while Grenada manager Michael Findlay will again depend on Jamal Charles and Kharlton Belmar to lead the line.
In Group B, Suriname hosts Bermuda in Paramaribo, and after bringing in a number of new recruits in March, Head Coach Dean Gorre will have mostly familiar faces, although new call-ups Ryan Koolwijk will look to make his mark in midfield and Mitchell te Vrede will reinforce the forward line. Bermuda will hope to build on a 5-0 win over Aruba last time out, but will be without forward Nahki Wells, who plans to join for the Concacaf Gold Cup.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines pay a visit to Guatemala in Group C with the Central Americans hoping to defend home turf and continue their undefeated start to qualification ahead of a June 8 trip to Curacao. Cornelius Stewart leads Vincy Heat into Guatemala, where Los Chapines have long-time captain Jose Manuel Contreras in their ranks and Darwin Lom leading the line.
Another team still perfect through two WCQs is the Dominican Republic, but that streak goes on the line against Barbados in Group D action. Andrea Bosco leads a defense that will look to make life difficult for Bajan Tridents forward Thierry Gale and attacking midfielder Hallam Hope.
The nightcap sees Nicaragua and Belize meet in a critical contest in Group E, as Belize closes out its qualification campaign. Nicaragua also will be eager for the test, with manager Juan Vita’s side’s 7-0 win over the Turks and Caicos Islands in March serving as its only match so far, while Belize fell to Haiti 2-0 and topped TCI, 5-0, in the March window. Captain Deon McCaulay heads up the forward line for Belize as he’s done in the last several qualification cycles, while Nicaragua will also turn to a familiar figure for leadership in Juan Barrera.
