MIAMI, Florida – League A of the 2023-24 Concacaf Nations League continues on Friday with the six teams in Group B swinging into action.
Haiti vs. Cuba
The day starts off with a Caribbean classic, as Haiti take on Cuba at the Estadio Panamericano in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic.
While these two sides have never squared off in the CNL, they did meet in CNL Qualifying in March 2019 in Haiti, where the home side produced a 2-1 victory. Overall, though, the series belongs to Cuba with a 9W-12D-7L advantage.
It is an important game for a pair of teams looking to overcome their disappointment of not advancing past the group stage during the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup.
When it comes to CNL play for Haiti, few players are better than Carnejy Antoine, who has five goals and five assists in his CNL career. Not to be outdone is Simonen Jeppe Friborg, with two goals and three assists in his CNL experience.
Cuba are just as talented, in particular with attackers Yasnier Matos and Luis Paradela. Matos’ goal clinched promotion to League A from League B last March for Cuba, while Paradela has two goals and three assists in CNL play.
Grenada vs. Suriname
Two teams with hopes of using their past League A experiences to their benefit will meet at the Kirani James Athletics Stadium in St. George’s, Grenada, as home side Grenada welcome in Suriname.
Neither side were able to find the win column in their first ever League A forays in the 2022-23 CNL, but that experience should prove vital as they begin their second League A campaigns in Group B.
Both teams saw their 2023 Gold Cup come to an end in the Prelims, so a winning start would be massive for either. This will be their first meeting in CNL play, however Suriname own the series lead overall with a 2W-1D-1L mark.
With a goal and an assist in his CNL career, Jacob Berkeley Agyepong will be one to watch for the Spice Boys. Helping the cause no doubt will be veteran GK Jason Belfon, a player with 28 career CNL saves.
Suriname can always turn to wealth of attacking talent and the trio of Jamilhio Rigters, Gleofilo Vlijter and Shaquille Cairo will get anyone’s attention. Rigters and Cairo wreaked havoc in the 2023 Concacaf Caribbean Club Shield with local side Robinhood, scoring three and 10 goals, respectively, while Vlijter was the top scorer in the 2019-20 CNL with 10 goals.
Jamaica vs. Honduras
Rounding out the evening in Group B is a scintillating affair between Jamaica and Honduras at the National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica.
No doubt that the team that emerges with a victory here will give themselves a great start in the quest for a top-two finish in the group. It is a first ever CNL meeting between the two nations, but there have been countless other matches, with the Hondurans holding a slim 12W-5D-10L advantage.
Jamaica enjoyed a good performance in the 2023 Gold Cup, reaching the semifinals before falling to eventual champions, Mexico.
The Reggae Boyz sport six players who ply their trade in the English Premier League, including attacking standouts Leon Bailey and Demarai Gray. Shamar Nicholson, with four goals and six assists in his CNL career, is another one to watch.
Honduras will be keen to put their frustrating 2023 Gold Cup group stage finish behind themselves and will be leaning on some of the star players from the 2023 Concacaf Central American Cup, like FW Jorge Benguche, MF Alexander Lopez and DF Franklin Flores.
Benguche scored three goals with Olimpia, Lopez had a game-winning strike for Alajuelense and Flores wrapped up his Central American Cup in excellent form with three assists for Real Espana in their finale.
