Davies returns to Vancouver to join Canada for qualifier

In his return to Vancouver, Bayern Munich teenager Alphonso Davies will look to help Canada complete its perfect CONCACAF Nations League qualifying run against French Guiana on March 24 at B.C. Place Stadium.

At stake is a place in the top tier of the CONCACAF Nations League and a berth in the 2019 Gold Cup.

Canada is ranked 79th in the world while French Guiana is not a member of FIFA and is not ranked.

The 23-man Canadian roster includes nine players from Major League Soccer, with a recall for Orlando midfielder Will Johnson. Other veterans include captain Scott Arfield, former skipper Atiba Hutchinson, goalkeeper Milan Borjan and defender David Edgar.

Vancouver Whitecaps players called up are goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau, centrebacks Derek Cornelius and Doneil Henry, and midfielder Russell Teibert.

Davies, 18, is one of seven callups aged 21 or younger, including Jonathan Davies (KAA Gent), Liam Millar (Kilmarnock FC) and Ballou Tabla (Albacete Balompie).

There are six teams with 3-0-0 records in CONCACAF Nations League qualifying play.

Canada stands third in the 34team standings with a goals difference of plus-14. Curacao (plus-21) tops the table ahead of Haiti (plus16). Cuba (plus-14, but has played two home games to Canada’s one) is fourth, followed by Jamaica (plus-11) and Martinique (plus-6).

French Guiana (2-1-0) stands 12th. The four-game qualifying round sets the stage for a three-tier competition, complete with promotion and relegation, that kicks off in the fall of 2019 in the confederation covering North and Central America and the Caribbean.

The top six teams out of qualifying will join Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Honduras, the U.S., and Trinidad and Tobago in the top-tier CONCACAF Nations League A.