Twelve nations begin title aspirations as League A kicks off

MIAMI – The 2024/25 Concacaf Nations League begins this week with twelve nations getting underway in League A on their quest for the championship.

Costa Rica seeks its return to the CNL Finals as one of the six nations beginning their campaigns in Group A on Thursday. Honduras against Trinidad and Tobago headlines the three-match slate in Group B on Friday.

Guyana vs. Suriname

Guyana and Suriname will open play in League A in Group A on Thursday at the National Track and Field Centre in Leonora, Guyana.

Guyana will debut in League A after spending three seasons in League B. The Golden Jaguars won all its group matches in the 2023/24 edition with an average of four goals per match and are unbeaten in the last seven. Omari Glasgow, with 10 goals in the previous two editions, is Guyana’s top scorer in the CNL and will be one of the players to watch.

Suriname will make a third consecutive League A appearance following a third-place finish in its group in the past edition. The Caribbean nation will aim to carry a positive momentum from the 2023/24 CNL after closing out the last campaign unbeaten in two. Gleofilo Vlijter, currently third in the all-time leading scorers in the tournament, is the team’s all-time scorer with 11 goals in the CNL.

The encounter will be the first between the sides in the CNL and 30th overall across all competitions. Suriname leads the series with 17 wins to six for Guyana, with six meetings ending in draws.

Costa Rica vs. Guadeloupe

Costa Rica will host Guadeloupe in Group A on Thursday at Estadio Nacional in San José, Costa Rica.

Following a quarterfinals appearance in the 2023/24 edition, Los Ticos defeated Honduras 3-1 in the CNL Play-in and secured a spot to compete in the 2024 Copa América. Francisco Calvo is Costa Rica’s top scorer in the tournament, scoring five goals, and will be looked to as a leader for the renovated side in the competition.

Guadeloupe will seek to continue its meteoric rise in the CNL. Les Gwada Boys will make their first League A appearance after starting in League C in the inaugural edition and playing two campaigns in League B.

This will be a first-ever CNL matchup. The sides have previously met three times, with Costa Rica claiming winning each occasion.

Guatemala vs. Martinique

Guatemala and Martinique will meet in Group A on Thursday at Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores in Guatemala City, Guatemala. This will be the first time the two nations face off in any competition.

The Chapines will feature in League A for a consecutive edition after starting in League C in 2019/20 and being promoted to League B in 2022/23. Guatemala will aim to expand its impressive Nations League home record, which includes an undefeated record in seven matches.

Martinique will be making a fourth straight appearance in League A in search of building on its impressive performance in the 2023/24 edition, where it finished third in the group after achieving its first two wins in the tournament. The nation enters the campaign undefeated in its last three Nations League matches.

French Guiana vs. Nicaragua

French Guiana and Nicaragua will open Group B on Friday at Stade Municipal Dr. Edmard Lama in Remire-Montjoly, French Guiana. This is the first-ever meeting between the sides in an official tournament.

French Guiana will play in League A for the first time after winning three of its last four matchups in the 2023/24 League B, recording consecutive wins in its past two home games. With six goals across three editions, Joel Sarrucco is the top scorer and player with the most appearances for the nation in 14 CNL matches.

Nicaragua will play in League A after finishing undefeated in the previous edition to earn promotion. La Azul y Blanco is unbeaten in its last 12 CNL matches, with nine wins and three draws. The nation’s top scorers in the competition are Matías Moldskred Belli and Jaime Moreno, who tallied five goals each over the last two editions.

Jamaica vs. Cuba

Jamaica host Cuba in Group B on Friday at the National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica.

The Reggae Boyz will make a third consecutive appearance in League A and are coming off their best campaign after finishing third in the 2024 CNL Finals. Bobby Reid, who has scored in all three previous editions, and Demarai Gray, who contributed three goals and an assist in the 2023/24 campaign, are two men who could feature in Jamaica’s front line.

Cuba will make consecutive appearances in their third League A campaign. The nation will seek to expand the team’s current positive streak, having lost only one of its last nine CNL matches. Captain Aricheell Hernández is the country’s top scorer in the tournament with four goals.

Honduras vs. Trinidad and Tobago

Honduras meets Trinidad and Tobago in Group B on Friday at Estadio Nacional Chelato Uclés in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Los Catrachos will make a fourth consecutive appearance in League A after being a quarterfinalist in the previous edition. Luis Palma shined for the team in the 2023/24 CNL with three assists and a goal, while Anthony Lozano contributed three goals and an assist.

Trinidad and Tobago will play in League A for a third consecutive edition. The Soca Warriors will aim to return to the quarterfinals for a consecutive campaign. The team’s top scorers in the CNL are Ryan Telfer, Reom Moore, and Joevin Jones, with three goals each.

This will be the third encounter between the teams in the history of the Nations League. Honduras claimed wins in both previous matchups and leads the all-time series with 11 victories to three for Trinidad and Tobago, with six resulting in draws.