TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) — Rommel Quato and Alexy Vega scored second half goals, and Honduras defeated Nicaragua 2-0 on Tuesday to take the group’s lead in the final round of Concacaf World Cup qualifying after their first two matches.
Quioto scored in the 47th minute, with Vega sealing off Catrachos’ 90th victory, aiming for their fourth World Cup.
Honjuran, who defeated Nicaragua in two previous World Cup qualifiers, competed in the World Cup tournaments in 1982, 2010 South Africa and 2014 Brazil.
The victory leaves Honduras undefeated, leading Central America Group C to lead the qualifying round with four points, with Costa Rica and Haiti in second place and Haiti in the last place with one.
The Costa Ricans wasted their lead in their second match in the final round, drawing 3-3 against the Haitians.
TICOS has qualified four of the past five World Cups, and just missed out in South Africa in 2010 and reached the 2014 Brazilian quarter-finals.
The 12 teams, divided into three groups, are competing for three in-person spots from the regional qualifiers for next year’s World Cup. The US, Canada and Mexico are automatically qualified As a co-host for the World Cup.
Earlier on Tuesday, Bailey Kadamaltedi and John Russell scored, and Jamaica remained at the top of Group B with a 2-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago, leaving Russell opening his 57th score in the 36th minute.
The Reggae Boys, who played in the World Cup in France in 1998, is led by former England national team coach Steve McLaren.
Also in Group B, Curacao received a 3-2 victory over Bermuda with two goals from Sheffield United striker Tahith Chong.
Jamaica has 6 points and Curacao 4. There is one in Trinidad and Tobago, and Bermuda has no competition points.
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