Canada booked their spot in this year’s Qatar World Cup with a 4-0 shutout win over Jamaica at home.
It will be Canada’s second trip to football’s showpiece event after participating in the 1986 world cup. Cyle Larin, Tajon Buchanan, Junior Hoilett, and Adrian Mariappa’s own goal were enough for Canada to seal their spot after 36 years of absence.
After failing to clinch a spot on Thursday, Canada returned home with a chance to complete the job in front of a frenzied, sold-out crowd of nearly 30,000 at BMO Field.
Cyle Larin and Tajon Buchanan calmed any nerves the capacity crowd may have had by netting in the first half. Junior Hoilett added more distance between the two sides with another goal in the 82nd minute to put the result beyond any doubt before Adrian Mariappa’s own-goal rounded out the scoring.
Canada will look to do better at the World Cup for the first time since 1986 after losing all three of its previous games in Mexico while failing to score a single goal.
With just one round of qualifying matches remaining, Canada sits atop the CONCACAF standings on 28 points, six clear of Mexico and the United States. They join a growing list of teams to have made it to the World Cup with the business end of qualification fast approaching.
