MIAMI, Florida – League A of the 2023-24 Concacaf Nations League is back in action on Thursday with a trio of important encounters in Group B.
Suriname vs. Haiti
The day in Group B begins at the Dr. Ir. Franklin Essed Stadion in Paramaribo, Suriname where Suriname host Haiti.
Suriname mustered just one point from their first two matches, so they will be keen to use the home crowd for inspiration to try to earn a win and get back into the mix for a top-two finish.
Mitchell te Vrede accounts for the lone Suriname goal thus far, but also on the roster for this window is the dynamic duo of Shaquille Cairo and Jamilhio Rigters. Cairo has been sensational in the 2023 Concacaf Caribbean Cup with Robinhood in scoring five goals, while Rigters has been equally as good with two goals and two assists.
Haiti arrive into this window with two points after drawing Cuba 0-0 at home before an entertaining 2-2 draw in Kingston against Jamaica in which Louicius Don Deedson scored two goals in a four-minute span for Les Grenadiers.
These are two teams who love to attack directly and it should make for a very wide-open affair. Historically, Haiti hold a slight advantage in the all-time series with a 3W-5D-2L record. Their last meeting was a 4-2 Haiti win in January 2017 during a Gold Cup qualifier.
Referees Suriname vs Haiti
REF: VICTOR CACERES (Mexico)
AR1: IBRAHIM MARTINEZ (Mexico)
AR2: JESSICA MORALES (Mexico)
4TH: DANIEL QUINTERO (Mexico)
Grenada vs. Jamaica
Opportunity knocks for Grenada to get back into the race for a top-two finish, as they welcome in Jamaica to the Kirani James Athletics Stadium in St. George’s, Grenada.
The Spice Boys drew 1-1 with Suriname before falling 4-0 to Honduras back in September, so it will be paramount for them to get three points on Thursday.
Saydrel Lewis got the goal for Grenada against Suriname, but perhaps the man to watch will be Jacob Berkeley Agyepong, who has a goal and two assists in his CNL career.
Jamaica sit atop the group with four points, owning the tiebreaker with Cuba on goals scored. The Reggae Boyz collected a 1-0 win at home versus Honduras thanks to a Demarai Gray goal before playing to a 2-2 draw with Haiti.
The likes of Gray and other English Premier League players such as Bobby Reid, Michail Antonio and Leon Bailey give Jamaica one of the most potent attacks in the Concacaf region.
Jamaica can also look to the history books for confidence, as they have won their last five meetings with Grenada to amass an overall record of 9W-2D-2L against the Spice Boys.
Referees Grenada vs Jamaica
REF: JOSEPH DICKERSON (USA)
AR1: JEREMY KIESO (USA)
AR2: CAMERON BLANCHARD (USA)
4TH: RUBIEL VAZQUEZ (USA)
Cuba vs. Honduras
The day in League A then concludes with a crunch test between second-place Cuba and third-place Honduras at the Estadio Olimpico Felix Sanchez in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Cuba has used a stifling defense and an opportunistic attack to reach the four-point plateau. They played to a 0-0 draw with Haiti in their opener away, followed by a 1-0 home win against Suriname in which Willian Pozo tallied the winning goal.
Pozo, along with other experienced attacking players like Yasnier Matos and Luis Paradela, will be aiming for a big home win against a Honduras side that is feeling confident after its 4-0 home win versus Grenada.
Edwin Rodriguez was one of the stars with a brace, while Antony Lozano and Luis Palma also chipped in with goals.
A victory against Cuba would propel Honduras into the top two and possibly into first place should Jamaica drop points against Grenada.
The Catrachos hold the lead in the all-time series, with eight wins and just five defeats, plus a draw. Their last meeting was a 1-0 Honduras win during Concacaf World Cup Qualifying for Brazil 2014.
Referees Cuba vs Honduras
REF: WALTER LOPEZ (Guatemala)
AR1: KEYTZEL CORRALES (Nicaragua)
AR2: ENMANUEL AGUIRRE (Nicaragua)
4TH: BRYAN LOPEZ (Guatemala)
