HAVANA, Cuba, Nov 10 (ACN) The senior national soccer teams of Cuba and Nicaragua will play today, on the so-called FIFA date, the first of two friendly matches at the National Stadium in Managua.
Head coach Pablo Elier Sanchez will have to make several changes in its regular lineup, as the Cuban Football Association (AFC) reported that, for reasons beyond its control, several players hired in Brazil, Spain and Italy could not travel to Nicaragua on account of both the strict sanitary protocols implemented by the authorities at the time of boarding the flights and airline limitations.
The AFC also informed that defender Jorge Luis Corrales has to renew his passport and will not play this time, whereas attacker Onel Hernández requested to be excused from the match for personal reasons.
After they arrived on Sunday, the Cuban players have had physical therapy in the morning and training sessions in the afternoon.
FIFA recently released its latest world ranking, in which Nicaragua is ranked 143rd and Cuba 179th.
