Canada Soccer has announced that its men’s national team will play Curaçao Thursday night, days after a contract dispute saw the players refuse to play a friendly against Panama.
It has been a rocky few weeks for Canada, who had lined Panama up in a hurry after an outcry over a scheduled friendly against Iran resulted in the federation nixing the match. Both sides held talks last week, with two days of training being called off, but ultimately the players refused to play and released an open letter spelling out their issues with Canada Soccer.
However, on Tuesday, Canada Soccer tweeted out a statement saying that all parties were ready to play Curaçao in CONCACAF Nations League play. Unlike the friendly, that match is an official competitive game, adding some pressure to get a team on the field.
“Canada Soccer and the Men’s National Team players, who returned to training on Monday, confirmed that they look forward to facing Curaçao in Concacaf Nations League,” read the statement. “Canada Soccer and the Men’s National Team players are excited to see their fans this Thursday 9 June at BC Place in Vancouver.”
Canada Soccer Men's National Team Update #CANMNT pic.twitter.com/9m1LQe5a7n
— Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) June 7, 2022