Reid, Kinumbe and Bayiha Selected to Canada U-20 Squad
October 24, 2018 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Ottawa Fury FC News Release
OTTAWA - Three members of the 2018 Fury FC team have been selected to be part of the Canada squad that will be competing in the 2018 Concacaf Men's Under-20 Championship this November. Forward Adonijah Reid and defenders Daniel Kinumbe and Clement Bayiha will get to don the maple leaf looking to qualify Canada for the FIFA U-20 World Cup Poland 2019.
"This is an opportunity for our young players to show their talent and grow into the Canadian jersey, so it is a chance for us to see more players and see how they cope at the international level," said Andrew Olivieri, Canada Soccer's Men's EXCEL U-20 Program Director. "There is also an opportunity for some returning players to take on a bigger leadership role and play an important part in this U-20 cycle."
All 20 players selected have experience in Canada Soccer's Men's EXCEL Program, benefitting from more than 1,100 cumulative days from the U-15 to U-21 age category. Twelve of the 20 players have participated in a previous Concacaf youth competition while 10 of them helped Canada finish in sixth place at the prestigious Festival international Espoirs Provence Toulon tournament this past summer.
"There is great momentum in our game, especially coming out of the Toulon tournament," said Olivieri. "There are a number of young players that have already progressed into the Men's National Team, so this competition provides others with another opportunity to gain valuable experience, especially in playing multiple matches in a short window against different types of opponents."
For the first time, the Concacaf Men's Under-20 Championship features 35 nations divided into six groups. From the first stage of round-robin play in early November, the six group winners will advance to the qualification stage. After the second stage of round-robin play, which will feature two groups of three teams with four teams ultimately qualifying for the FIFA U-20 World Cup Poland 2019. The two group winners will play for the Concacaf title on 21 November.
In the group phase, Canada will play five matches in nine days: Dominica on November 2; Guadeloupe on November 4; Panama on November 6; St. Kitts & Nevis on November 8; and Martinique on November 10. All matches will be played at the IMG Center in Bradenton, FL, USA.
Fans can follow Canada's matches live on Concacafgo.com as well as across Canada Soccer's digital channels on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. The opening match is 2 November against Dominica at the IMG Center in Bradenton, FL, USA.
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