Guatemala and Venezuela had been scheduled to face off on Saturday in a 2023 International Friendly. However, the game was eventually canceled. Here, find out the reason why
The Guatemalan football team has already started preparations for new challenges in 2023. Luis Fernando Tena will try to get the most out of his team in friendly and official tournaments with a view to the next World Cup cycle where they will try to fight for a ticket to the 2026 World Cup.
Back in December 2022, it was confirmed that Bicolor would play a friendly against their Venezuelan counterparts in the United States. The report stated that the match would take place on Saturday, January 28, and that the match would be held in Miami.
However, it is now cancelled. Should this clash take place, it would be the first friendly of 2023 for Teno and his players as well as Jose Pekerman.
Why was the Guatemala vs Venezuela match canceled?
The match between Guatemala and Venezuela has been called off due to political tensions, according to SiriusXM reporter Glenn Crooks. Alejandro Giammattei, Guatemala’s new president, has reportedly severed relations with Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro’s administration and closed the country’s embassy in Caracas.
Guatemala will be preparing with friendly matches to be able to reach the official competitions in the best way. For now, their first official duel next year will be on March 24, when they face Belize, within the framework of the Day 5 of the Concacaf Nations League. Meanwhile, Venezuela are yet to release the name of their first opponents of 2023.
