ANALYSIS – The CANMNT September roster was revealed on Tuesday. A lot of the players Canadians would be familiar with, but there were also some surprises that made the roster. This roster will be put to the test as they will face the U.S. and Mexico in the September FIFA window.
CANMNT September Roster Analysis Against Two Concacaf Giants
Players Expected To Be On The Roster
Some notable players that had fantastic 2024 Copa América tournaments includes Derek Cornelius, Jacob Shaffelburg, and Jonathan David, who are all part of the roster.
Cornelius, after a fantastic job in the tournament, has earned himself a chance to play for Olympique de Marseille in the Ligue 1 league. David scored two of Canada’s three goals in regulation time in the Copa America competition, while Shaffelburg also made his name known, including scoring the lone regulation goal against Venezuela. This is what CANMNT head coach, Jesse Marsch, said about Shaffelburg (Source: Transfer Market):
“He’s got a relentlessness and a fearlessness about him,” Canada head coach Jesse Marsch said in an interview with TSN. “I feel like for him, no moment is too big. He’s ready for whatever.” That relentlessness has certainly been on full display throughout the tournament.
READ MORE: A Fantastic CanMNT Team Effort in Thrilling Win Over Venezuela
With data released by Major League Soccer earlier this year, Shaffelburg is the second fastest player with a top speed of 36.66km/h. He is now the fastest player in MLS as CanMNT teammate Moïse Bombito (37.27km/h in MLS) has recently been transferred to Nice of Ligue 1 from the Colorado Rapids of MLS. Bombito also had a decent Copa América and is part of the 23-man roster that will play in September.
With data released by Major League Soccer earlier this year, Shaffelburg is the second fastest player with a top speed of 36.66km/h. He is now the fastest player in MLS as CanMNT teammate Moïse Bombito (37.27km/h in MLS) has recently been transferred to Nice of Ligue 1 from the Colorado Rapids of MLS. Bombito also had a decent Copa América and is part of the 23-man roster that will play in September.
Newer Players on the Roster
There are two players on the roster that should be highlighted. These players are Stephen Afrifa and Niko Sigur. Afrifa, the 23-year-old born in Toronto, Ontario, is a forward player, who has been playing with Sporting Kansas City since 2023. Afrifa has been excelling with his MLS side, scoring five goals in all competitions, putting him tied for second in the club in goals scored.
The other player that is new on the roster is Sigur. The player, born in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, plays both as a defensive midfielder and as a right-back.
The success of the Canadian national team in the Copa América competition has convinced Sigur to play for Canada over Croatia, where he played for the Croatian U-21 team (Source: Daniel Rainbird of The Canadian Press):
“I do believe that our success really ignited his interest, but I think that he also … he’s born in Canada, and I think he grew up in Canada,” Marsch said.
This is what Marsch said about Sigur’s abilities as a player (Source: OneSoccer YouTube Account):
Ismaël Koné Is Not On The Roster
Ismaël Koné will unfortunately miss out in the September window for Canada as he recently picked up an ankle injury a few weeks ago. Probably a pre-caution as Koné, who was just injured recently and also needs to give a great first impression for Marseille in what has been a great move in his career.
READ MORE: Uruguay Wins Thriller as They Claim Third Place in Copa América
Koné will be a hard player to replace for Canada. He was one of Canada’s best players in the 2024 Copa América competition, not just with the midfielder’s defence, but also his ability to find his teammates. A great example of this was against Uruguay, where he scored one goal, and played a big role in the Jonathan David goal being scored.
Games To Look Forward To
The CANMNT will have some big games against two Concacaf giants in September. The first game will be against the USMNT on Saturday, September. 7, 2024, which will take place at 4:00pm ET at the Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas. That game will be shown live in the U.S. on TBS/Tele/Max.
The Canadians will then travel to Arlington, Texas at the AT&T Stadium to face Mexico on September 10, 2024, at 8:30pm ET. Both the games against the Americans and the Mexicans will be shown live on OneSoccer.
Photo Credit: Canada Soccer EN X Account and the Canada Soccer FR X Account on June 29, 2024.
