The Honduras men’s national team advanced to the final hexagonal round of CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying with a 0-0 draw against Mexico at the Estadio Azteca.
It was a wary affair, with Honduras only needing a draw to advance and the match played out as such, with few clear chances on either side. Houston Dynamo’s midfielder Boniek García entered in the 60th minute to help preserve the tie, thereby making his sixth appearance for Los Catrachos in World Cup Qualifying.
Honduras finished second in their group, behind Mexico, and join the United States, Trinidad & Tobago, Costa Rica, and Panama in the final round of qualifiers. The Honduran team, coached by Jose Luis Pinto, opened at home against Panama on November 11 and end up with a 1-1 draw, which gave them one point. With a victory against Canada, they were blessed with a step ahead in their Group.
Honduras, Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama, Trinidad & Tobago and the United States, in alphabetical order, secured places in the final round of qualifying by finishing among the top two of their respective groups in semifinal round play.
The placement and schedule for the final round was determined according to the group position in which each team finished the semifinal stage. The hexagonal, a ten-match schedule for each of the contestants, will be played from November of this year through October 2017.
Honduras hosts Panama on Friday, November 11, 2016. The top three finishers advance directly to the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia. The fourth-place team advances to an intercontinental home-and-away play-off to be disputed in November 2017, against a team from the Asian Football Confederation. The Hondurans are expected to secure the 3 points against Panama to take them to the next level of the qualifiers.