Guatemala Coach: 'Panama is the Best Concacaf Team, but We Only Need a Win'

Despite respecting the rival, Tena was firm about his team's needs. Guatemala is third in Group A with five points, while Panama is co-leader with Surinam, both with six units. "We have said many times and for a long time that Panama is the best team in Concacaf for a long time," Tena stated. On the eve of the match that will define much of the future of both teams for the 2026 World Cup, Tena did not spare praise for the rival but showed awareness of the Guatemalan urgency. The Guatemala coach, Mexican Luis Fernando Tena, stated this Wednesday that his team is facing "the best team in Concacaf," but warned that for the Azul y Blanco, only a victory in Thursday's game against Panama will do, as "a draw is useless to us." The strategist based his statement on the "great tactical work" that Panamanians "handle very well" and which, according to him, they have demonstrated since the 2023 Gold Cup. "For everything that qualifying for a World Cup means for all of us and, of course, for the millions of Chapines who are so excited," the coach stressed. "Yes, I have been coaching for many years and I have played many finals, but this match is very special." He also knows that Panama is practically obligated to win. This urgency, which he considers shared, could benefit the spectacle. "It is a decision I made since last time and I take responsibility," the coach declared, who admitted it hurt him a lot to leave him out. "We know very well that a draw is useless to us, so we also have to take that into account," he emphasized. The Mexican coach assured he has "the certainty of who is going to play," although he confirmed he has "trained some variants." "So I think it will be a more open match," he added. The match between Guatemala and Panama will be played at "El Trébol" (in the south of the Guatemalan capital), as it is better known. The coach, with decades of experience in football, assured that this match is not comparable to others. During the press conference, the Aztec coach highlighted the strength of the canalero team, which he considers the most formed rival in the region. Tena took full responsibility for the decision. Tena highlighted the "quality of their players" and their "very marked offensive vocation," ensuring that his technical staff has worked focused on countering the "many tactical variants" that Thomas Christiansen's team possesses. Conscious of the excitement of millions of Guatemalans to see their team in a World Cup for the first time, Tena confessed to experiencing the buildup "with the emotion, with the uncertainty that these matches bring." A defeat at the Manuel Felipe Carrera stadium would leave the hosts with practically no chance of reaching the only direct ticket to the World Cup. One of the most sensitive points in the call-up was the absence of attacker Nathaniel Méndez-Laing.