On Thursday, Panama needs a win at home versus Honduras to ensure they maintain a top-four position in the final round of World Cup 2022, qualifying with kickoff at 4:05 am.
With a point separating them from Costa Rica in fourth place, Panama heads into the final qualification window with a playoff berth. Meanwhile, Honduras will miss the 2018 FIFA World Cup for a second time as it is dead last in the Hexagonal with three points.
It’s been a rough start to 2022 for Thomas Christiansen and his side, who recorded two losses in their first three games. Defeats against Costa Rica and Mexico have hampered their chances at finishing in a top-three position.
The team will likely need to beat the United States and Canada to make it through to the World Cup. Los Canaleros may have the most demanding schedule of all CONCACAF teams down the stretch of qualification—they’ll face the top two teams in the Octagon in the upcoming months, plus they face Costa Rica.
Honduras has had a forgettable qualifying campaign for the 2018 World Cup, as time seems to have caught up to this aging squad. Los Catrachos are in danger of going winless in the competition for the first time since the 1990 campaign, having drawn their last three matches.
Panama vs. Honduras Head to Head
Both sides have 18 games against each other, with hosts taking six wins while visitors with seven wins. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
- Mexico 1-0 Panama
- Panama 3-2 Jamaica
- Costa Rica 1-0 Panama
- Peru 1-1 Panama
- Panama 2-1 El Salvador
Away
- USA 3-0 Honduras
- Honduras 0-2 El Salvador
- Honduras 0-2 Canada
- Colombia 2-1 Honduras
- Costa Rica 1-2 Honduras
Panama Team News
Panama striker Gabriel Torres can earn his 100th cap for the national team should he play in Thursday night’s match against Canada. Nashville midfielder Anibal Godoy, a central figure in this Panamanian side, is searching for his third goal of 2022 qualifying, notching the winner in an upset victory over the United States in October of last year.
Honduras Team News
Hondurans Romell Quioto, Luis Lopez, and Diego Rodriguez failed to complete the United States 3-0 defeat to the Hondurans in San Pedro Sula in early February after experiencing issues with the cold in their previous fixture as temperatures fell to minus 14 degrees Fahrenheit with the Windchill.
Prediction and Odds
The Hondurans have nothing to play for but pride, so we can expect Panama to step up their game in the hope of taking home the three points.
- Panama Win
- Goals Under 2.5
- No Score: Away
