Trinidad and Tobago started life without Angus Eve on a losing note as they were thumped 4-0 by Honduras in their opening Concacaf Nations League Group B League A contest in Tegucigalpa on Friday.

The result dealt and early blow to the Soca Warriors and interim head coach Derek King, as they are the group’s early cellar dwellers.

Honduras, with the win, assume pole position on three points, same as Nicaragua, who edged French Guiana 1-0, while Jamaica and Cuba both have a point from their goalless stalemate. Only the top two teams from the group will progress to the quarterfinals, while the bottom-placed team will be relegated to League B.

The tournament also determines which national teams qualify for the next edition of the Concacaf Gold Cup.

Honduras vs. Trinidad and Tobago

After struggling to break down Trinidad and Tobago’s defence early, Honduras eventually found the go-ahead goal when Alexander Lopez drove in a right-footer from outside the box.

Kevin Arriaga also showed his class with a well-struck right-footer in the 45+2 minute to put Honduras 2-0 up at the break.

Try as they did, Trinidad and Tobago had no response to Honduras in a hostile environment and soon found themselves further behind in the 54th minute. This, as Edwin Rodriguez was allowed too much space deep inside the 18-yard box to fire home from Luis Palma’s pass.

The win was then capped by David Ruiz, who slotted home in the 86th minute.

French Guiana vs. Nicaragua 

The Central Americans extended their unbeaten run in the Concacaf Nations League to 13 matches by taking three points off host French Guiana at Stade Municipal Dr. Edmard Lama.

Both teams gave as good as they got in the attacking third, but it was Nicaragua that got the all-important strike through Widman Talavera in the 90+5 minute to secure the three points.

Group B action will resume on Tuesday, starting with Cuba facing Nicaragua, while Trinidad and Tobago will host French Guiana, and Jamaica will visit Honduras to close out the day.

As the excitement continues to build towards Thursday's start to this decisive window in the 2023-24 Concacaf Nations League, the other pair of League A quarter-final fixtures are also expected to serve up a treat, as Jamaica host Canada and Honduras welcome Mexico for their respective first leg matches on Friday.

All four sides are aiming to advance to the Concacaf Nations League final in March, as well as secure qualification to next year's CONMEBOL Copa America.

Jamaica vs. Canada

Friday's action kicks off with Jamaica and Canada renewing their rivalry at the National Stadium.

On the line is Jamaica’s unbeaten streak in Concacaf Nations League play, as they have amassed nine wins and five draws in 14 all-time Nations League games, including three wins and a draw in Group B on their way to the quarterfinals.

In 22 all-time matches between the two, the Canadians have won 10 and Jamaica six, with the other six fixtures ending as stalemates. However, Jamaica currently boasts and immensely talented group to improve their record, provided they execute accordingly.

Demarai Gray was sensational in the group stage, as he tallied three goals, while Shamar Nicholson continued his rich form in Nations League action with two goals. He also moved his all-time Nations League assists mark to six.

Bobby Reid, another player capable of producing the spectacular, supplied two goals and an assist. He was also present defensively in terms of his eight ball recoveries.

Canada, who is one of the teams to receive a bye to this phase of the tournament due to their FIFA rankings, enters the fray after finishing as runners-up in last year's edition.

They will be keen to make a return trip to the finals, but they will also be mindful of the fact that their previous match-up in Kingston ended in a goalless stalemate in October 2021, during Concacaf World Cup Qualifying, and also of the fact that Jamaica's squad has been significantly boosted since then.

Still, many of the players who led Canada to their second ever FIFA World Cup qualification, are back in the fold for this two-way series, including star striker Jonathan David, winger Junior Hoilett and flying left back Alphonso Davies.

David and Davies are tied for the most Nations League goals for Canada with five each, while Davies has 14 goals in 42 total appearances with Canada. Hoilett delivered top performances for Canada during the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup, scoring a goal and chipping in two assists.

That said, it is anybody's guess which way this first-leg engagement between two talented teams will go, if not again ending in a stalemate.

Honduras vs. Mexico

Long-time rivals Honduras and Mexico square off at the Estadio Nacional Chelato Ucles in Tegucigalpa.

This will mark the 44^th encounter between the two nations, with Mexico accounting for 26 wins and Honduras seven, with the others 10 ending in stalemates. Mexico also outscored the opponents 81-29 in those games.

Honduras secured their quarterfinals berth by virtue of a second-place finish in Group B. After opening with a 0-1 loss to Jamaica, Honduras rallied to earn seven points from their final three matches.

Edwin Rodriguez was a force to be reckoned with in the group stage. He scored two goals and contributed two assists. 

Luis Palma was an attacking threat as well with a goal and two assists.

Deybi Flores has for years been a workhorse in the Honduras midfield, and the four matches in Group B were no exception. He completed 241 of 273 passes and made four ball recoveries.

Many of the players who helped Mexico win the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup will lead El Tricolor into the opening 90 minutes in Tegucigalpa. Those include goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, who won the Gold Cup Golden Glove Award for the four clean sheets he recorded during the tournament.

Striker Santiago Gimenez, the hero of the final for his late goal to defeat Panama 1-0, is also back in the ranks, as is ever-dangerous free-kick specialist Luis Chavez, who scored two goals in the Gold Cup and led the team in shots with 18.

The last time Honduras faced Mexico was in the Gold Cup when the latter registered a comfortable 4-0 victory.

By all indications, Mexico are heavily favoured to secure three points.

The stage is set for a massive day on Sunday in Group B of League A of the 2023-24 Concacaf Nations League, with the final quarterfinal spot up for grabs among Cuba, Honduras and Haiti.

Haiti vs. Jamaica

Haiti’s quest for the quarterfinal berth will face a very big test against group leaders Jamaica at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

Jamaica occupy pole position in the group with seven points and have already sealed their quarterfinal berth but will still be keen to find a victory and secure a first-place finish.

Meanwhile, Haiti, with three points, remain alive for a second-place finish and quarterfinal berth, but must first defeat Jamaica and then hope the result of the Honduras-Cuba match go in their favour. A draw between those two sides in Honduras and a healthy Haiti win could give Haiti the goal difference needed to advance.

The Jamaicans were very impressive when they downed Grenada 4-1 on Thursday, as they got goals from four different players, including Shamar Nicholson, who is now Jamaica’s all-time top scorer in the CNL with five goals.

Thanks to a goal from Mikael Cantave, Haiti played to an entertaining 1-1 draw with Suriname, their third straight draw in this CNL. Haiti extended their CNL unbeaten run to 12 matches, with five wins and seven draws.

Honduras vs. Cuba

The action then shifts to the Estadio Nacional Chelato Ucles in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, where the home team and Cuba find themselves in a must-win situation.

Cuba currently sit second in the group on five points, with Honduras just behind in third with four points. Simply put, it is win and you are in for both Cuba and Honduras where a quarterfinal berth is concerned.

A draw could also be enough for Cuba to advance, provided Haiti drop points against Jamaica.

These two sides met on Thursday in a feisty affair that ended in a 0-0 stalemate. There were golden scoring opportunities for both sides, but neither could find the final touch. This time around, the likes of Yasnier Matos for Cuba and Edwin Rodriguez for Honduras will try to inspire their teams’ attacks.

Cuba have registered six wins and two draws in their last eight CNL matches, but Honduras will have history on their side, as the Catrachos have won five of their six matches against the islanders.

Suriname vs. Grenada

Group B will then come to a close at the Dr. Ir. Franklin Essed Stadion in Paramaribo, as Suriname host Grenada.

This will be a meeting between the bottom two teams in the group, with Suriname at fifth on two points and Grenada in sixth with a solitary point.

While their 2024 Copa America dreams are no more, there is still motivation to avoid relegation and a victory for either might be enough to assure safety for another League A campaign.

Grenada suffered a 4-1 defeat to Jamaica 4-1 at home in their last outing but did show some spunk going forward and got a goal from Trevon Williams.

Suriname also showed their dangerous side in the first half of their 1-1 stalemate with Haiti on home soil and were bolstered by a goal from Ridgeciano Haps.