Panamas first steps towards World Cup qualifying
Panama will face Dominica, Nicaragua and the Bahamas in the opening qualifying rounds on the long road to the World Cup.
The Concacaf (Confederation of North and Central American and Caribbean) draw was made in Rio de Janeiro, site of the 2014 World Cup.
Panama, is on a high after its outstanding performance in the recent Concacaf Gold Cup competition, when the team beat the USA for first time, and tied with Canada to emerge head of their group in the qualifying rounds. This led to to a lift in the world ranking. They will be playing in Group C of the Concacaf division,
In Group D will be Canada , St. Kitts and Nevis, Puerto Rico and St. Lucia.
The winners of both groups will progress to Group C in the second round and face Honduras and Cuba
The United States, Jamaica, Mexico, Costa Rica, Cuba and Honduras will join the second round tie.
The first groups are: Group A: El Salvador, Surinam, Cayman Islands and the Dominican Republic Group B: Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Barbados and Bermuda. Group C: Group D: Canada , St. Kitts and Nevis, Puerto Rico and St. Lucia. Group E: Grenada, Guatemala, St. Vincent-Grenadine and Belize. Group F: Haiti, Antigua and Barbuda, Curacao and the Virgin Islands.
SECOND ROUND Group A: United States Jamaica and winners Groups E and F. Group B: Mexico, Costa Rica and winning Group A and B. Group C: Honduras, Cuba and winners Groups C and D.
