Miami (AFP) – Jamaica beat Trinidad and Tobago 2-0 in World Cup qualifiers on Tuesday to stay top of their CONCACAF (North American) group, while Curacao and Honduras also won. Jamaica’s Bailey Cadamarteri opened the scoring in the 36th minute off a headed pass from Greg Leigh, and Jon Russell added the second in the 57th minute at Kingston. Jamaica had opened with a 4-0 win at Bermuda in CONCACAF World Cup final qualifying and lead Group B on six points.
With regional powers Canada, Mexico, and the United States co-hosting the 2026 World Cup, CONCACAF qualifying was changed to a final round featuring three groups of four. The three group winners will qualify automatically for the World Cup, and the best two second-placed teams will get a further chance in inter-confederation playoffs.
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Trinidad and Tobago, who opened with a goalless draw against Curacao, had goals from Levi Garcia disallowed in the 29th and 63rd minutes by VAR. Curacao went second in Group B on four points as Tyrese Noslin’s 75th minute winner off a pass from Tahith Chong gave them a 3-2 win at home to Bermuda. Chong, a midfielder for England’s Sheffield United, opened the scoring in the 14th minute and stretched the Curacao lead in the 26th. Kane Crichlow pulled one back in the 35th minute from a Ne-Jai Tucker cross. Djair Parfitt-Williams equalized for Bermuda in the 42nd minute after being put through by Dante Leverock.
There was drama in Group C, where Haiti led late before settling for a 3-3 draw at Costa Rica. Costa Rica’s Kenneth Vargas scored in the opening minute and Alonso Martínez made it 2-0 in the 35th. Haiti, however, raced into a 3-2 lead with a second-half hat-trick by Duckens Nazon, who scored in the 55th, 58th, and 86th minutes. But Costa Rica’s Juan Vargas made it 3-3 in the first minute of stoppage time to avoid losing to Haiti for only the second time in 16 matches.
In the same group, hosts Honduras beat Nicaragua 2-0 to seize the group lead on four points. Romell Quioto opened the scoring in the 47th minute, and Alexy Vega added a second in the first minute of stoppage time.
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