SPORTS

CONCACAF pushes back start of 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign to March 2021

Neil Davidson

Published Tuesday, September 8, 2020 1:55PM EDT

Canada midfielder Jonathan Osorio (21) and teammate Atiba Hutchinson (13) embrace as they celebrate a victory over the United States in second half of CONCACAF Nations League soccer action in Toronto, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston

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TORONTO -- Canada will have to wait until at least March to start its qualifying journey for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

CONCACAF's already-delayed qualifiers were to start in the FIFA international match windows in October and November. But CONCACAF, which covers North and Central America and the Caribbean, announced Tuesday that first-round qualifying matches will now kick off in March.

The two governing bodies cited “challenging public health situations” and travel restrictions due to the pandemic.

When play does start, the Canadian men will be the top seed in a first-round group consisting of Suriname, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands and Aruba.

CONCACAF qualifying, which involves 35 countries over three rounds, will send three teams to the 2022 World Cup with another team advancing to an intercontinental playoff.

The delay affects what is the third incarnation of CONCACAF qualifying for the tournament due to the pandemic.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 8, 2020.