Saint Kitts and Nevis, Belize host in Play-In first leg encounters | OneFootball

MIAMI – The 2024/25 Concacaf Nations League continues on Thursday, with eight teams competing in the Play-In round to advance their hopes of qualifying for the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup.

Two League C group winners will host their League A sides counterparts for the first-leg in their home-and-away direct elimination round. Saint Kitts and Nevis meets Cuba in the first encounter. Belize faces French Guiana in the second match of the day.

The sides will trade home field for the second leg encounters next week. After home-and-away play, the aggregate score winner in each matchup will advance to the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup Prelims.

Saint Kitts and Nevis vs. Cuba

Saint Kitts and Nevis hosts Cuba at the SKNFA Technical Center in Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis.

Saint Kitts and Nevis was the Group C winner in League C with a 3-1-0 record. Tiquanny Williams stood out with consecutive braces in September, leading the nation all-time with nine CNL goals.

Cuba was the fifth-place finisher in Group B of League A. Dariel Morejón was one of the top players for Cuba, achieving five ball recoveries, while Maykel Reyes scored one goal and was the team leader in shots (13) in the group stage.

The meeting will be the fourth in history between the two nations, with the previous encounter coming over 23 years ago on May 18, 2001. Cuba leads the all-time series with two wins and one draw.

Belize vs. French Guiana

Belize hosts French Guiana at the FFB Stadium in Belmopan, Belize.

Belize was the Group B winner in League C with a 4-0-0 record. The Belize defense stood out for not conceding any goals in the group stage, with Charles Tillett suiting up in goal for multiple clean sheets. Jordy Polanco led the attack with four goals in as many games.

French Guiana finished sixth in Group B of League A. Jules Haabo scored twice to tie among the top scorers in the group stage in the first tier and provided an assist. In the process, Haabo lifted his tally to four goals in the last two CNL editions. Joel Sarrucco is the nation’s all-time CNL scorer, with six goals in 16 appearances.

The match will mark the seventh time the teams have met. All previous encounters occurred in League B of the CNL during the 2019/20, 2022/23, and 2023/24 seasons. Belize leads the all-time series with three wins, one draw, and two losses.