Antigua and Barbuda vs Aruba - prediction, team news, lineups

Aruba volition statesman their bid to instrumentality to League B erstwhile they question to look chap relegated broadside Antigua and Barbuda astatine Sir Vivian Richards Stadium successful the opening circular of the 2026-27 Concacaf Nations League connected Wednesday evening.

Both nations dropped retired of the 2nd tier aft hard 2024-25 campaigns, but the caller League C format gives them an contiguous accidental to respond, with 3 radical winners and the champion second-place finisher advancing to the League C Championship and promotion to League B astatine stake.

Match preview

Aruba's past Nations League run successful League C could hardly person gone better, arsenic they won each 4 of their matches successful 2023-24 to unafraid promotion aft finishing 2nd successful their radical successful the erstwhile edition.

However, their instrumentality to League B exposed a antithetic level of difficulty, with Marvic Bermudez's broadside losing each six matches against Haiti, Puerto Rico and Sint Maarten successful 2024-25 to decorativeness bottommost and endure an contiguous instrumentality to the 3rd tier.

That downturn came arsenic portion of a mediocre tally of results betwixt March 2024 and June 2025, erstwhile Bermudez's men suffered 10 losses successful 13 games (W1, D2) and exited the 2026 World Cup qualifiers successful the 2nd round, though they look to person steadied since then.

Currently 189th successful the FIFA World Rankings, Aruba person won 3 of their past 5 games crossed each competitions, netting astatine slightest 3 goals successful victories implicit Barbados successful past year's Concacaf Series arsenic good arsenic back-to-back 4-1 successes implicit Macau and Liechtenstein successful March.

However, a 4-0 decision to Curacao successful June's affable is simply a reminder of their past struggles, with Bermudez's men failing to triumph immoderate of the 3 matches successful their past six outings successful which they failed to score, meaning an fantabulous onslaught could beryllium important successful securing a triumph connected Wednesday.

Antigua's diminution has been peculiarly pronounced successful the Nations League, arsenic they spent 4 successive editions successful League B earlier suffering their first-ever relegation to League C aft managing conscionable 1 constituent from their six games, with their lone constituent coming from a goalless gully against Dominica.

Sitting 162nd successful the planetary rankings, the Benna Boys are inactive searching for their archetypal triumph successful 15 matches crossed each competitions (D4, L11), a tally that saw them driblet to the Nations League's 3rd tier arsenic good arsenic exit successful the 2nd circular of the World Cup qualifiers, with a alteration astatine the helm doing small to halt that slide.

Appointed successful April 2025, Jacques Passy has overseen 4 games for the team, including defeats successful their last 2 2026 World Cup qualifying outings against Cuba and Honduras successful the June 2025 planetary window.

Meanwhile, a 4-1 thrashing astatine the hands of Guyana successful November past twelvemonth was the 3rd decision of Passy's reign, with the setback coming six days aft a goalless gully against Aruba successful the aforesaid planetary window.

That stalemate ended Antigua's five-match winning tally successful this fixture, and the Benna Boys indispensable benignant retired their issues successful onslaught if they are to reestablish their dominance implicit Wednesday's opponents, having failed to people successful 7 of their past 9 outings crossed each competitions.

Antigua and Barbuda signifier (all competitions):

Aruba signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Aruba person named their squad for the 2026-27 Concacaf Nations League, with goalkeeper Joey Zwaan and defenders Justin Peterson and Tyrese Gijsbertha among the newer options disposable to Marvic Bermudez.

Matthew Lentink is apt to support his spot betwixt the posts aft starting some of Aruba's astir caller matches, including the 4-1 triumph implicit Liechtenstein successful March.

Bradley Martis and Kymani Nedd some started that Liechtenstein success, portion Roviën Ostiana besides featured successful the backmost 3 earlier Diederick Luydens replaced him successful the XI for the much caller 4-0 decision to Curacao.

Walter Bennett, Quinlan Poulina and Gianni Vandepitte each started Aruba's past 2 matches, portion Gladwin Curiel besides featured successful some games and should supply different enactment successful a midfield four.

Jaybrien Romano, Gello Robertha and Carlito Fermina besides started some caller fixtures and could proceed successful the attacking positions, though Bermudez has respective alternatives disposable from the existent squad.

Passy has named a 26-man squad for the Nations League campaign, giving the Antigua and Barbuda brag plentifulness of options for Wednesday's opener. The squad includes 3 goalkeepers, 7 defenders, 10 midfielders and six forwards according to the ABFA squad announcement.

Shahoi Dorsett is apt to clasp his spot successful extremity aft featuring successful the erstwhile planetary window, portion Amir Daley, Quinton Griffith and Kylano Isaac are among the antiaircraft options disposable to Passy.

TJ Bramble and Tyrik Hughes could supply options successful midfield alongside Daryl Massicott, with D'Andre Bishop and Dion Pereira besides susceptible of operating successful much precocious roles.
 

Antigua and Barbuda imaginable starting lineup:

Dorsett; Daley, Griffith, Isaac, O'Garro; Bramble, Hughes, Massicott; Bishop, Pereira, Nathaniel-George 

Aruba imaginable starting lineup:

Lentink; Martis, Nedd, Ostiana; Curiel, Bennett, Poulina, Vandepitte; Romano, Robertha, Fermina

We say: Antigua and Barbuda 1-1 Aruba

Aruba's stronger caller results marque them susceptible of troubling Antigua, but the Benna Boys person location familiarity and a squad that has been refreshed with a sizeable injection of younger players, portion the erstwhile goalless gathering suggests different choky contention could make astatine Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.

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