San José, June 6 (EFE).- The Costa Rica coach, Gustavo Alfaro, highlighted the importance of this Thursday’s 4-0 victory over Saint Kitts and Nevis at the start of the 2026 World Cup qualifier, as an impulse for the confidence of the young players with whom he is implementing the renewal of the squad.
“If there is something that I value, it is the confidence factor that the results provide for a team that is trying to show its identity with many young kids. This is a very young team, even too young, but it makes its way by walking” Alfaro said in the press conference after the game.
Costa Rica beat Saint Kitts and Nevis 4-0 at the National Stadium in San José, with two goals from Orlando Galo, another from Josimar Alcócer and one from the young debutant forward Andy Rojas.
“The victory is important at the start, a little because of the forms, but fundamentally because it is a very young group, there are many kids debuting and looking for their forms and their ways. It is easier to correct positive results,” Alfaro pointed out.
The coach highlighted “the response” of the team “to the responsibility of the start of a tie” against an opponent “physical and locked in behind.”
“They are kids who wanted to start well and who are trying to build their own dream that will allow Costa Rica to participate in its fourth consecutive World Cup,” he declared.
Alfaro said that his “obsession” is to qualify for the 2026 World Cup and build a competitive team with a view to that tournament and that to do so it is necessary to test players and accumulate experience.
With the United States, Mexico and Canada as host countries for the 2026 World Cup, the Concacaf zone uses a new knockout format with a first phase of 6 groups of 5 teams each. The first two places in each bracket will advance to another group stage that will distribute 3 direct tickets to the World Cup.
In the first phase, in which all teams will play only 4 games, Costa Rica is located in Group B along with Bahamas, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Trinidad and Tobago.
This group began action with a 2-2 draw between Trinidad and Tobago and Grenada on Wednesday.
Costa Rica leads the group with 3 points and next Sunday they will visit Grenada, while on Saturday the Bahamas will host Trinidad and Tobago. EFE
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