San José, Oct 9 (EFE).- Nicaragua and Jamaica will compete this Thursday at the National Stadium in Managua for the lead in Group B of the Concacaf Nations League, in an undefeated duel in which both teams, after After two days, they arrive with four points.
The Nicaraguans, led by Chilean Marco Antonio ‘el Fantasma’ Figueroa, are in first position, along with Jamaica, as a result of a 0-1 victory against French Guyana and a 1-1 draw with Cuba.
The Reggae Boyz, led by Englishman Stephen McClaren, meanwhile, in their last presentation defeated Honduras 1-2, and on the first day they drew goalless against Cuba.
The Blue and White, which will play for the first time at home, will count on attacker Byron Bonilla, the star of Nicaraguan Real Estelí, and forward Ariel Aráuz, of Costa Rican Herediano, for this decisive match.
Bonilla and Aráuz, who were called up for this match by Figueroa, will join the attack made up of Jaime Moreno, Juan Barrera, Jason Coronel and Matías Belli, plus the creation of Harold ‘La Perla’ Medina.
Widman Talavera, the scorer of the two goals scored by the Pinoleros, will be ready to go out in the second half of the match.
The Englishman Stephen McClaren, for his part, called up the Caribbean figures who play in the English Premier League to face Nicaragua.
The Reggae Boyz will have striker Michail Antonio, from West Ham, available; to defenders Ethan Pinnock, of Brentford, and Bobby De Cordova-Rei, of Leicester.
Also to Demarai Gray, who after his time at Everton, plays in the Saudi league alongside Mason Holgate, who plays in the Championship on loan from Everton.
Midfielder Leon Bailey, from Aston Villa, is the only absence for Jamaica.
The match between Nicaragua and Jamaica will possibly define the leadership of Group B of the Nations League, the ticket to the quarterfinals, and permanence in this category for next season.
The Caribbean team, which has been in Nicaragua since Tuesday, will face the Blue and White for the first time since the 2015 World Cup qualifiers.
The match will be at the National Stadium in Managua at 8:00 p.m. (02:00 GMT on Friday) for first place in Group B of the Concacaf Nations League.
The Central Americans and the Reggae Boyz are leaders of Group B with 4 points, ahead of Honduras which has 3, Cuba with 2, French Guiana and Trinidad and Tobago with one.
Nicaragua remains undefeated in the Concacaf national team tournaments since the Chilean coach arrived on the Blue and White bench.
They promoted undefeated to the Concacaf Nations League A and qualified for the Gold Cup.
With the tie with Cuba, in Havana, they have accumulated eleven victories and three draws in two editions of the League B of Nations.
In the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, they won their first two games, making it 16 consecutive games without losing, not including friendlies. EFE