World Soccer - UK (2020-11)

Hapoel Be’er Sheva striker Nigel
Hasselbaink, but Galatasaray centre-
half Ryan Donk and former Feyenoord
defender Kelvin Leerdam could help
challenge favourites Canada in Group B,
who have Alphonso Davies andJonathan
David, stand-out performers in Europe
in 2019-20, in their ranks.

THE REST
Grenada and Antigua & Barbuda have
big diasporas but both were without a
coach when the draw was made and
look unlikely to challenge top seeds
El Salvador in Group A.
Bermuda qualified for their first Gold
Cup last year and will provide tougher
competition in Group B if European-
based players such as the talismanic
Nahki Wells of Bristol City are available.
Guyana also made their Gold Cup
debut last year and will look to Europe.
Persuading West Ham right-back Ryan
Fredericks to ditch England aspirations

may be hard, but Brazilian coach Marcio

Maximo will believe Trinidad’s travails

make the Octagonal a realistic target.

For most other small sides, such as

the British Virgin Islands, these matches

are about blooding young players before

the 2026 World Cup, when hosts USA,

Canada and Mexico will be absent from

the qualifiers and a real opportunity

may finally present itself.

CONCACAF’s pre-octagon

first round of qualifying

GROUP A

El Salvador

Antigua & Barbuda

Grenada

Montserrat

US Virgin Islands

GROUP B

Canada

Suriname

Bermuda

Cayman Islands

Aruba

GROUP C

Curacao

Guatemala

St. Vincent & Grenadines

Cuba

British Virgin Islands

GROUP D

Panama

Dominican Republic

Barbados

Dominica

Anguilla

GROUP E

Haiti

Nicaragua

Belize

St. Lucia

Turks & Caicos Islands

GROUP F

Trinidad & Tobago

St. Kitts & Nevis

Guyana

Puerto Rico

Bahamas

THE DRAW

WORLD SERVICE

Target...Ryan

Fredericks is eligible

for Guyana, as well as

England and Scotland