Montserrat to launch CONCACAF qualifying
Published:Wednesday | June 15, 2011 | 12:00 AM
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):
Lowly-ranked Montser-rat will launch the CONCACAF qualifying campaign for the 2014 World Cup when they meet fellow minnows Belize here today.
Montserrat are the lowest ranked country in FIFA and face a Belize side that are 172nd in the world rankings and 26th in CONCACAF.
The two teams will clash at the Ato Boldon Stadium in the central Trinidad town of Couva before heading to the Belizean capital of Belmopan for the return leg next Sunday.
The winners will advance to the World Cup qualifying draw in Rio de Janeiro on July 30.
Qualifying action will continue on July 2 with Turks and Caicos hosting the Bahamas in the first leg, with the British Virgin Islands travelling to the US Virgin Islands the next day for their fixture.
Coming out of the 10-team preliminary-round campaign, the five winners along with Bermuda will join the World Cup draw.
They will join 18 other teams in a pool what will comprise six four-team groups for the first group stage.
The group winners will progress to a semi-final round with giants United States, Mexico, Honduras, Jamaica, Costa Rica and Cuba, with the 12 teams divided into a further three groups.
The top two from each group will then advance to a six-team final round.