French PSG goalkeeper Keylor Navas heads Costa Rica's 26-man squad for the 2022 Qatar World Cup, which includes 14 players who will play in a World Cup for the first time.
Costa Rica's coach, Colombian Luis Fernando Suárez, presented this Thursday at a press conference the list of players who will play the World Cup in Group E along with Spain, Germany and Japan.
Navas will play the third World Cup of his career, as will defender Oscar Duarte, midfielders Celso Borges and Bryan Ruiz, and striker Joel Campbell, who make up the experience base along with others who have played in World Cups such as Kendall Waston, Francisco Calvo and Yeltsin Tejeda.
The group also includes players who will have their first World Cup experience such as Lugo goalkeeper Patrick Sequeira, Colombian Millonarios defender Juan Pablo Vargas, English Sunderland striker Jewison Bennette, English Nottingham Forest midfielder Brandon Aguilera, and the local league wingers Álvaro Zamora, Anthony Hernández and Gerson Torres, among others.
"This is a group focused on what it wants, with great desire, in continuous improvement. I see this group with a focus on meeting the demands that are made, with professionalism, with dedication to the country, with intelligence and leadership," he declared. Suarez.
The coach said he was "in love" with the group of players he called up because "they have many qualities" and said he felt "calm" and "with good feelings" with a view to the World Cup.
Suárez, for whom Qatar will be his third World Cup as coach after directing with Ecuador and Honduras, said that he wants to "enjoy this World Cup but always with professionalism", with the experience he has accumulated in the previous two.
The coach did not refer to players who are not, with the exception of midfielder Orlando Galo, who is temporarily suspended by FIFA while he is defending, after failing a doping test.
Suárez wished Galo a prompt return to the fields and that he become a bastion of the national team with a view to the 2026 World Cup.
Regarding the young generation, Suárez confirmed that Costa Rica is in "a necessary renewal process" and expressed confidence in the qualities of the team to face the World Cup.
The Costa Rican team will play a friendly against Nigeria on November 9 at the San José National Stadium, which will serve as a farewell to the fans before leaving the next day for Kuwait, where the team will concentrate until the 18th, when they will travel to Qatar.
On November 17, the Costa Rican team will play a friendly away against Iraq.
Goalkeepers: Keylor Navas (PSG-FRA), Esteban Alvarado (Herediano), Patrick Sequeira (Lugo-ESP).
Defenders: Francisco Calvo (Konyaspor-TUR), Juan Pablo Vargas (Millonarios-COL), Kendall Waston (Saprissa), Óscar Duarte (AL-Wehda-KSA), Daniel Chacón (Colorado Rapids-USA), Keysher Fuller (Herediano), Carlos Martínez (San Carlos), Bryan Oviedo (Real Salt Lake-USA), Ronald Matarrita (Cincinnati FC-USA).
Midfielders: Yeltsin Tejeda (Herediano), Celso Borges (Alajuelense), Bryan Ruiz (Alajuelense), Youstin Salas (Saprissa), Roan Wilson (Grecia), Gerson Torres (Herediano), Douglas López (Herediano), Jewison Bennette (Sunderland-ENG) ), Álvaro Zamora (Saprissa), Anthony Hernández (Puntarenas), Brandon Aguilera (Nottingham Forest-ENG).
Forwards: Joel Campbell (León-MEX), Anthony Contreras (Herediano) and Johan Venegas (Alajuelense).
