CanWNT announces squad for two November friendlies vs. Mexico

2021-11-18

Charlie O’Connor-Clarke, Digital Content Editor (@charliejclarke)

Canada Soccer announced on Thursday afternoon that the Canadian women’s national team will convene later this month for a pair of friendly matches away from home against Mexico.

The camp will run from November 22 to December 1 in Mexico, with matches to be played on November 27 and November 30. The first match will be played behind closed doors, but the second is set to be broadcast live on OneSoccer and Telus channel 980.

Along with the announcement of the friendly matches, head coach Bev Priestman revealed a 26-player squad for the camp, which features 18 of 22 players from the team that won gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics over the summer, as well as a few new faces to the group. Notable absences, however, include Janine Beckie and Adriana Leon, who will both miss out due to medical reasons, as well as Gabrielle Carle and Jayde Riviere, who will be kept from the squad because of school commitments.

However, the roster has plenty of starpower, including Christine Sinclair, Jessie Fleming, Kadeisha Buchanan, and Ashley Lawrence, as well as many other key players. University of Pittsburgh forward Amanda West has earned her first call-up, and Havre AC fullback Sura Yekka is back with the national team for the first time since 2015.

“Canada’s trip to Mexico is pivotal in our journey towards the 2022 Concacaf Women’s Championship next summer,” Priestman said in a statement. “This tour will allow us to assess some players for the future and start some of our tactical adjustments ahead of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023. The tight window between matches played at altitude will make for difficult conditions and it is all part of the group building experiences for what is to come in 2022 and beyond.”

Canada’s full squad is below.

Canada’s Roster