Junior Hoilett struck an 81st-minute winner as Canada earned a 1-0 victory at Suriname in their CONCACAF Nations League quarter-final on Friday while Mexico fell 2-0 at Honduras.
The 34-year-old Hoilett, who plays for Hibernian in Scotland, latched on to a ball from Jonathan David and fired past Etienne Vaessen for the winner.
It was a deserved victory for Jesse Marsch’s team, which can book a place in the semi-finals by taking care of business in the return leg in Toronto on Tuesday.
Suriname, coached by former Ajax and Dutch international Stanley Menzo, are an improving force in CONCACAF with their team filled with players performing in various European leagues and they made life difficult for the Canadians.
Canada were without their star performer, Bayern Munich wing-back Alphonso Davies, and they missed the quality he usually brings in the final third.
Ali Ahmed should have done better from a central position but his shot was easily dealt with by Vaessen and then Tani Oluwaseyi saw his first-time shot hit one post, fly across the goal line and come out off the other post.
But Hoillett had the final say and was delighted with his 14th goal for his country.
“Its amazing to get the win, to get on the scoresheet. I worked hard to get back in the team. I’m just delighted we got the win with it,” he said.
Mexico have a lot of work to do on Tuesday in Toluca if they are to overturn a two-goal deficit after strikes from Honduras substitute Luis Palma handed them a 2-0 loss in San Pedro Sula.
Honduras grabbed the lead in the 64th minute when Edwin Rodriguez’s low drive was parried out by Guillermo Ochoa and Palma pounced to fire home the loose ball.
Palma made sure of the win, seven minutes from the end, when he finished off a counter-attack with a brilliant solo goal, cutting in from the left flank before driving past Ochoa.
There were ugly scenes after the final whistle, however, when Mexico coach Javier Aguirre was struck by an object thrown from the crowd and left the field with blood pouring down his face.
