Nicaragua Vs Jamaica

The top spot in League A Group B of the CONCACAF Nations League will be contested on Thursday when Nicaragua hosts Jamaica at the Nicaragua National Football Stadium in Managua.

Both teams are currently tied for first place with four points. Nicaragua secured a dramatic 1-1 draw against Cuba on matchday two, while Jamaica triumphed over Honduras with a 2-1 victory in their last outing.

Nicaragua’s journey in the new Nations League campaign has been characterized by resilience, as they remain unbeaten in League A fixtures to date.

So far this season, their two goals in the competition have come during stoppage time in the second half, extending their unbeaten streak to five matches across all competitions. The late equalizer against Cuba marked the fourth instance this year where Nicaragua has conceded the opening goal, and they have yet to secure a win in 2024 when facing an early deficit.

Conversely, when Nicaragua scores first, they maintain a perfect record this year, highlighted by a 1-0 victory over French Guiana in their Nations League opener.

Under Martin Antonio Figueroa’s leadership, Nicaragua has managed to earn points in 14 consecutive Nations League matches, achieving victories in their last six home games in this tournament.

Los Pinoleros have not lost to a Caribbean team in the Nations League since Suriname defeated them 2-1 in Nicaragua back in November 2019.

In their second match, Steve McClaren secured his first win as Jamaica's manager with a strong second-half performance and a bit of luck.

The former England manager remains unbeaten in his first two matches at the helm of the Reggae Boyz, breaking a four-match winless streak in all competitions with the win over Honduras.

Jamaica has a perfect record in away Nations League group matches, having won both of their games outside of Jamaica last year, defeating Grenada 4-1 and Haiti 3-2.

Since Costa Rica edged them 1-0 in a World Cup qualifying match in February 2022, the Reggae Boyz have gone seven consecutive competitive matches without a loss against Central American teams, winning five of their last six encounters with that region.

In their last Nations League fixture, they conceded a second-half goal for just the second time since entering League A in the 2022-23 season.

Following their initial loss to Nicaragua in their first-ever meeting in Jamaica in 2015 (3-2), Jamaica claimed victory in their only match against La Azul y Blanco in Managua later that year, winning 2-0.