..CONCACAF announced changes to championship

GUYANA will open their CONCACAF U-20 Women’s Championship campaign against Nicaragua on February 23, at the Estadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez in the Dominican Republic, as the confederation announced some major changes yesterday.

The Guyanese women are placed in Group D alongside Mexico and Puerto Rico.

Following confirmation from FIFA that Costa Rica and Panama will co-host the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, in August of 2020, and that Concacaf has been awarded one additional slot (four in total), the Confederation announced changes to its World Cup Qualifying tournament, to be hosted in the Dominican Republic between Feb 22 – Mar 8, 2020.

The CONCACAF Council has determined that Costa Rica and Panama, as host countries of the World Cup, will automatically qualify for the World Cup and will no longer participate in the 2020 Concacaf Women’s Under-20 Championship. The two remaining slots in the World Cup will be determined via the 2020 Concacaf Women’s Under-20 Championship.

For the group stage of the 2020 CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship, to be played at the Felix Sanchez Stadium and Panamericano Stadium, in Santo Domingo and San Cristobal, respectively, Guyana (top ranked team in qualifying Group A) and Saint Kitts and Nevis (top ranked team in qualifying Group B) will be replacing Costa Rica and Panama for the group stage of the final championship.

In Group C, the United States, Honduras, Dominican Republic and Cuba will go head-to-head, while Group E is set with Canada, Jamaica, Guatemala and El Salvador. Group F comprise Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Cayman Islands.

For the Round-of-16, Bermuda (third-place finisher in qualifying Group A) and Barbados (third-place finisher in qualifying group B) will occupy the positions vacated by Guyana and Saint Kitts and Nevis.

All knockout round matches (round of 16, quarter-final, semi-final and final) will be played in a single match elimination format, with the finalists qualifying for the FIFA Women’s U-20 World Cup 2020.