Junior and Yiadom on WC brink; Joao receives Angola call

A round-up of what’s to come in a big international week for the Royals

The final international break of the campaign is here… a chance for some of our players to take stock, rest the legs, and then work hard at Bearwood to keep ticking over for the run-in.

But a handful of our senior squad have international affairs to attend to first – including a couple of players who are on the brink of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup, and a couple of first ever senior call-ups.

Junior Hoilett – Canada

A stunning CONCACAF World Cup qualifying campaign to date for Canada and Junior Hoilett – 11 games played, seven wins, four draws and no defeats means that they are within one point of reaching Qatar.

And they have three bites of the cherry to get over the line, and to reach the finals tournament for just the second time in their history. First is a trip to Costa Rica on Thursday evening (2.05am on Friday 25 March UK time), then a home game against Jamaica (Sunday 27 March, 9.05pm UK time) and finally a trip to Panama (Thursday 31 March, 2.05am UK time).

A regular contributor throughout the campaign for the Canucks, 31-year-old Hoilett could take his caps tally up to 45 during this break and looks in great shape to be going to the World Cup at the end of the year.

Andy Yiadom – Ghana

Having helped the Black Stars to some massive victories when it mattered during the CAF Second Round qualifiers, Andy Yiadom and his compatriots now have a two-legged fixture against Nigeria – a straight shoot-out for qualification for Qatar 2022. Baba Rahman, our loanee full-back, misses out with injury.

Advancing to the final stage by topping their group on goal difference ahead of South Africa, Ghana now go home and away against the Super Eagles – rekindling an old rivalry against another West African nation. Only one can qualify…

The home leg comes first, at 7.30pm on Friday 25 March (UK time) in Kumasi, before travelling to Nigeria for a 6pm kick-off on Tuesday 29 March in Abuja. Winner takes all.

Lucas Joao – Angola

Twice capped in friendly fixtures for Portugal’s senior squad back in 2015, Lucas Joao now has fresh challenges ahead as he receives his first call-up to the Angola national squad.

Born in Lisbon but of Angolan heritage, Joao links up with the Angola squad for a training camp in which they will play two friendly fixtures on neutral soil in Portugal. They’ll take on a couple of other Lusophone nations in the shape of Equatorial Guinea and Guinea-Bissau…

Mamadi Camara – Guinea-Bissau

… and that could potentially see Joao facing up against clubmate Mamadi Camara, who has received his first call-up for the Guinea-Bissau senior squad at the age of 18. With nine senior appearances for the Royals under his belt – six of which came in the Sky Bet Championship – he now has a chance to train and play with his senior countrymen for the first time.

The ‘Djurtus’ will face Angola and Equatorial Guinea during their time in camp in Portugal – former Royal Alfa Semedo is also in the selection.

Orjan Nyland – Norway

Two games for the Royals for Orjan Nyland – and he could potentially have two more Norway caps by the time he returns to Bearwood Park at the end of the international break.

He has 33 senior appearances to his name for Norway – the last of which came in the final World Cup qualifying group game, as they lost out to the Netherlands in what had otherwise been a good campaign.

So it’s just two friendly fixtures that he’ll take part in, both in Oslo – first against Slovakia on Friday 25 March (5pm), and then against Armenia on Tuesday 29 March (6pm).

Luke Southwood – Northern Ireland

And Nyland’s fellow member of the Royals’ goalkeepers’ union, Luke Southwood, has once again been called up for the Northern Ireland squad and will hope to debut during the upcoming break.

The Green and White Army finished behind Switzerland and Italy in their World Cup qualifying campaign, so they’ll be settling for a couple of friendly fixtures to keep things ticking in this spell of games.

First is a visit to Luxembourg (Friday 25 March, 7.15pm), before a return to Belfast to host Hungary at Windsor Park (Tuesday 29 March, 7.45pm).

Kian Leavy – Ireland U20

Midfielder Kian Leavy won an Under-20 cap for Ireland on Tuesday – he played the full 90 minutes in a friendly fixture against Ireland Amateurs.

It was a chance for Ireland U21 manager Jim Crawford to take a look at some youngster in action over the course of a three-day camp and with a game against open-age opposition at Whitehall Stadium. Glen Daly scored the only goal as the Amateurs won 1-0.

Benjamin Purcell – Wales U18

Welsh midfielder Benjamin Purcell, who won his first U18 cap in a 1-1 draw with England last year, could gain further international playing experience in the coming days as the Young Dragons take on Finland in a double-header of fixtures.

He is part of a 20-man squad which will host two games against their visitors at Colliers Park – the first on Friday 25 March (1pm), and the second on Monday 28 March (11am).