Canada expects tough test against Sugar Boys

While St. Kitts and Nevis is ranked 133rd in the world, the Sugar Boys present a step up in class for Canada after blowout wins over the U.S. Virgin Islands and Dominica in CONCACAF Nations League qualifying play.

“We know we’re coming up against a hungry group of players,” Canadian coach John Herdman said ahead of Canada’s game against St. Kitts on Sunday in Basseterre.

“This is going to be a tough opponent for us, which is exactly what we want and what we’ve needed,” he added.

Canada, ranked 76th in the world, stands third in the CONCACAF Nations League qualifying standings after blanking the U.S. Virgin Islands 8-0 and Dominica 5-0.

St. Kitts is fifth after beating Puerto Rico 1-0 and Saint Martin 10-0.

No. 79 Curacao and No. 103 Haiti, also 2-0-0, top the standings with goal differences of 15 and 14, respectively.

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 that covers North and Central America plus the Caribbean.

The top 10 nations in qualifying play will make the CONCACAF Gold Cup field, while the top six also qualify for CONCACAF Nations League Group A.

Mexico (No. 16), the U.S. (23), Costa Rica (37), Honduras (62), Panama (70) and Trinidad & Tobago (93) pre-qualified for the top tier of the Nations League.

Anthony Johnson, president of the St. Kitts and Nevis Football Association, calls Sunday’s contest “the most important match in the history of St. Kitts Nevis football,” pointing out that a win could move the Sugar Boys into the CONCACAF Gold Cup for the first time.