Rangers star Scott Arfield could rue his decision to retire from international football as Canada qualified for only their second-ever World Cup – 36 years after their first appearance – following a 4-0 win over Jamacia.
Arfield made the decision to retire from representing Canada in January to focus on his club career with Rangers and he will miss out on football’s grandest stage of all.
The midfielder featured for Canada on 19 occasions despite being born in Scotland and playing for all age groups apart from the senior team.
His father was born in Toronto, and this allowed Arfield to play for Canada and he made his debut in 2016.
Rangers star misses out on the World Cup as Canada end a 36-year drought
Arfield’s last appearance for the national team came in 2019 so there was no guarantee that he would have been chosen to represent Canada at the World Cup.
Regardless of his decision, the 33-year-old will still be incredibly proud of the achievement, and it looks set to be a bright future for this generation of Canadians.
They had to wait to make sure qualification was sealed following a temporary blip against Costa Rica, as they were defeated 1-0. They sure made amends against the Jamaicans however, cruising to a 4-0 win.
With players such as Jonathan David and Alphonso Davies, this Canadian team will be one to watch for the future, and qualification to Qatar 2022 represents the first step towards a long road to establish Canadian football on the international stage.
They may spring a surprise or two on the biggest stage and I won’t be shocked if this is just the beginning of a golden generation.
In other news, Rangers defender Calvin Bassey is confident of a World Cup berth for Nigeria ahead of their second leg playoff tie against Ghana.
