Antigua and Barbuda vs Cuba

Cuba could edge closer to advancing to the third round of CONCACAF World Cup 2026 qualifying with a win against Antigua and Barbuda at the ABFA Technical Center on Friday.

The Benna Boys slipped to fourth in Group A after a 1-0 defeat to the Cayman Islands on matchday two, while Cuba secured a 3-0 victory by forfeit against the same opponent shortly after, as the Cayman Islands withdrew due to concerns over travel bans for players studying in the U.S.

Antigua and Barbuda squandered opportunities in both of their second-round qualifiers last year, conceding goals in the 90th minute or later in each match. They dropped points in a draw against Bermuda and fell empty-handed against the Cayman Islands.

New coach Jacques Passy, appointed earlier this spring, faces the challenge of turning around Antigua and Barbuda’s qualifying campaign. The team hasn’t secured a competitive win since October 2023, when they beat the Bahamas 4-1 in a CONCACAF Nations League match. Their hopes of reaching the third round are slim, but victories in their final two games, including a tough matchup against group leaders Honduras next week, could keep them in contention. As the home side, they’ve remained unbeaten in their last four World Cup qualifying matches since a 3-1 loss to Saint Lucia in June 2015.

Cuba, led by Yunielys Castillo, are focused solely on World Cup qualifying after a 6-1 aggregate loss to Trinidad and Tobago eliminated them from CONCACAF Gold Cup contention in March. Their recent form has been shaky, with only one win in their last eight matches across all competitions—a 4-0 victory over Saint Kitts and Nevis in November. As the away team, Cuba’s World Cup qualifying record is poor, with just one victory since August 2008, a 1-0 win against Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in June 2021.

Historically, Cuba have dominated Antigua and Barbuda, remaining unbeaten in seven encounters and winning their most recent clash 3-1 in June 2022.

The visitors were defeated in their previous seven games and failed to score in five of those games, although winning their last three.

Montenegro enters Doosan Arena on a four-game losing streak away from home, during which they have let up six goals and failed to score. The Czech Republic will probably put forward striker Patrik Schick before an offensive group consisting of Lukas Provod, Pavel Sulc, and Vaclav Cerny.

Goalie Balsa Popovic will be positioned behind center defenders Igor Vujacic and Nikola Sipcic for Montenegro, supporters can anticipate.