CONCACAF W Gold Cup: Lady Jags could potentially face CONCACAF powerhouses if advanced

…Head Coach Omar Khan hoping to seize opportunity

CONCACAF on Monday conducted the official draw for the 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup. The inaugural edition of the region’s new flagship competition for women’s national teams will be played between February 17 and March 10, 2024 across four venues in three US metropolitan areas, and includes the participation of CONCACAF’s and CONMEBOL’s best women’s national teams and some of the world’s top players.
The made-for-tv event was hosted by CBS Sports reporter Susannah Collins, and included the participation of CONCACAF President and FIFA Vice President Victor Montagliani and former national team stars Dinnia Diaz (CRC), Cheyna Matthews (JAM) and Monica Ocampo (MEX). CONCACAF Chief Football Competitions Officer Carlos Fernandez conducted the draw.
In Monday’s draw, the 12 women’s national teams participating in the tournament’s group stage were divided into three groups of four as follows:
Group A: United States, Mexico, Argentina, and Prelims Winner 3.
Group B: Brazil, Panama, Colombia, and Prelims Winner 1.
Group C: Canada, Costa Rica, Paraguay, and Prelims Winner 2.
The pairings for the Preliminary Round (Prelims) were determined based on CONCACAF Women’s Rankings as at December 2023, and are as follows (highest-ranked teams versus the lowest-ranked teams):
P1: Haiti (1) vs Puerto Rico (6)
P2: El Salvador (2) vs Guatemala (5)
P3: Guyana (3) vs Dominican Republic (4)

2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup Competition Format
The 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup will begin with the Prelims at Dignity Health Sports Park Track and Field Stadium on February 17, 2024. After single-match elimination play, the winning team in each match will advance to the Group Stage.
A 12-nation team Group Stage will be played between February 20-28, 2024 at Dignity Health Sports Park (Group A), Snapdragon Stadium (Group B), and Shell Energy Stadium (Group C). After round-robin play, the group winners, runners-up, and the two best third-place finishers will advance to the tournament’s Quarterfinals.
The Knockout Stage will commence with the Quarterfinals at BMO Stadium on March 2 and 3, followed by the Semifinals and Final at Snapdragon Stadium on March 6 and 10 respectively.

2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup Match Schedule
*Kick-off times and order of matches will be announced at a later date.

Saturday, February 17, 2024 – Dignity Health Sports Park Track and Field Stadium, Carson, CA
M1: Haiti vs Puerto Rico
M2: El Salvador vs Guatemala
M3: Guyana vs Dominican Republic.

Tuesday, February 20, 2024 – Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, CA
M4: Mexico vs Argentina
M5: United States vs Prelims Winner 3.

Wednesday, February 21, 2024 – Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, CA
M6: Panama vs Colombia
M7: Brazil vs Prelims Winner 1.

Thursday, February 22, 2024 – Shell Energy Stadium, Houston, TX
M8: Costa Rica vs Paraguay
M9: Canada vs Prelims Winner 2.

Friday, February 23, 2024 – Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, CA
M10: Prelims Winner 3 vs Mexico
M11: Argentina vs United States.

Saturday, February 24, 2024 – Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, CA
M12: Prelims Winner 1 vs Panama
M13: Colombia vs Brazil.

Sunday, February 25, 2024 – Shell Energy Stadium, Houston, TX
M14: Prelims Winner 2 vs Costa Rica
M15: Paraguay vs Canada.

Monday, February 26, 2024 – Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, CA
M16: Argentina vs Prelims Winner 3
M17: United States vs Mexico.

Tuesday, February 27, 2024 – Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, CA
M18: Colombia vs Prelims Winner 1
M19: Brazil vs Panama.

Wednesday, February 28, 2024 – Shell Energy Stadium, Houston, TX
M20: Paraguay vs Prelims Winner 2
M21: Canada vs Costa Rica.

Saturday, March 2, 2024 – BMO Stadium, Los Angeles, CA (Quarterfinals)
M22: 1st vs 8th
M23: 2nd vs 7th

Sunday, March 3, 2024 – BMO Stadium, Los Angeles, CA (Quarterfinals)
M24: 3rd vs 6th
M25: 4th vs 5th

Wednesday, March 6, 2024 – Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, CA (Semifinals)
M26: WM22 vs WM25
M27: WM23 vs WM24

Sunday, March 10, 2024 – Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, CA (Final)
M28: WM26 vs WM27

Meanwhile, Lady Jags Head Coach Omar Khan has said the team is eager to seize the opportunity to compete in Group A alongside several top female national teams. He highlighted that the coaching staff has already started analysing the playing style of the Dominican Republic.
“This is our chance to really get in with the big countries in the big games. I think it’s a great opportunity, and we have to take that opportunity with both hands to try to get everything out of it. We’ll be ready, we already started to analyse the game of the opponent, we’ve started to see which game plan we could use. Doesn’t matter what happens, it’s going to be a great experience and opportunity to play on a high level in the first Gold Cup.”
Guyana Football Federation (GFF) President Wayne Forde has said he is confident the national team would tackle this upcoming challenge with the same level of determination and heart shown during the Road to Concacaf W Gold Cup.
“The Lady Jags have consistently demonstrated their talent and dedication, proving their capability to excel at the highest levels of football. I have no doubt this round will echo that. Despite the strong challenge posed by the Dominican Republic, our team tackles each game with determination and heart,” he said.