On Thursday, French Guiana will host Honduras at Stade Municipal Dr. Edmard Lama in a crucial CONCACAF Nations League clash. Both teams are looking for vital points, with French Guiana seeking their first victory in the top tier of the tournament.
Match Preview
French Guiana French Guiana have shown resilience in their Nations League campaign, especially defensively. They have conceded just once in their two matches so far, a narrow 1-0 defeat to Nicaragua. Their recent 0-0 draw against Trinidad and Tobago marked a historic first point for Les Yana Dokos in League A.
Despite their solid defensive displays, they have struggled to score, failing to find the back of the net in three of their last four matches across all competitions. French Guiana’s last win in a Nations League campaign came back in 2019, and they will need to improve offensively if they wish to avoid elimination from the knockout stage.
Historically, they have had success against Honduras, famously defeating them 3-1 during a Gold Cup playoff in 2015. However, they lost the second leg in Honduras 3-0, failing to qualify for the tournament.
Honduras Honduras had a promising start to their Nations League campaign with a convincing 4-0 win against Trinidad and Tobago. However, they faltered in their next match, losing 2-1 to Jamaica due to defensive lapses in the second half. This loss ended a strong four-match winning streak at home in the Nations League.
Los Catrachos have struggled away from home in recent years, winless in their last four away matches in the tournament, scoring only once in that stretch. Despite their recent struggles, they are just one point behind the top two in Group B and can secure a spot in the knockout stage with a victory on Thursday.
Honduras has a solid historical record against French Guiana, winning their last two matches by a combined score of 6-0. However, they will need to overcome their recent away form to secure a win in this fixture.
Team News
French Guiana
- Five players who started against Nicaragua retained their positions against Trinidad and Tobago: Mickael Colino, Gregory Lescot, Loic Baal, Thomas Vancaeyezeele, and Ludovic Baal.
- Goalkeeper Fei-Hong Faham replaced Donovan Leon in the last match, earning a clean sheet in only his second appearance for the national team.
Expected French Guiana Starting XI:
Leon; Colino, Lescot, Letard, Marmot; Nemouthe, Lo. Baal, Vancaeyezeele, Lu. Baal, Galas; Sarrucco
Honduras
- Honduras made several changes between their first two matches, with Luis Lopez starting in goal and Cristopher Melendez and David Ruiz coming into the lineup.
- David Ruiz scored Honduras’s only goal against Jamaica and will be crucial in the attacking lineup alongside Anthony Lozano.
Expected Honduras Starting XI:
Menjivar; Najar, Maldonado, Vega, Rosales; Rodriguez, Arriaga, D. Flores, Palma; Ruiz; Lozano
Prediction
While French Guiana has been defensively solid, their struggles to score could prove costly against a motivated Honduras side looking to bounce back from their recent defeat. Given their historical advantage and attacking prowess, Honduras is favored to secure a vital away victory.
Prediction: French Guiana 0-2 Hondurasam B
