• ​Nicaragua set to host CONCACAF Women’s U-17 Championship
• Three FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup berths up for grabs
• Eight teams will play in 16 matches across eight matchdays

Nicaragua will play host to the sixth edition of the CONCACAF Women’s U-17 Championship, which begins on Thursday. Eight teams will compete for the regional title in this age group, as well as three qualifying berths for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Uruguay 2018.

The tournament represents a milestone for the central American nation: “This is the first time that our country will host an event of such magnitude. We are ready to welcome the participating teams with the warmth and hospitality that characterizes our country,” said Nicaraguan Football Federation President Manuel Salvador Quintanilla to CONCACAF.com.

The tournament in brief:

• ​When: 19-29 April
• Where: Estadio Nacional, Managua, Nicaragua
• Participating teams: Nicaragua, Mexico, Haiti, Puerto Rico (Group A); Canada, USA, Costa Rica, Bermuda (Group B)
• What’s at stake: Three berths to the U-17 Women’s World Cup in Uruguay
• Format: After round-robin action in the two groups of four, the top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals. The winners of both last-four duels will reach the tournament final and qualify for Uruguay 2018. The other two teams will contest the competition’s third-place match, with the winner claiming CONCACAF’s final qualifying berth for this year’s U-17 Women’s World Cup in November

The favourites
Since the inaugural CONCACAF U-17 Women’s Championship in 2008, the North American sides of Canada, Mexico and USA have dominated the competition. USA have won the most titles (three) and are the only nation to have won it more than once.

Mexico will be expected to top Group A, but the emergent Haiti will be a force to be reckoned with. Mexico have pedigree in the competition, as they were champions in 2013 and finished runners-up twice, in 2010 and 2016. Head coach Monica Vergara’s side will have their sights set on returning to the final for the third consecutive edition.

Defending champions USA come into the tournament in great form. Coach Mark Carr’s team are undefeated in 2018 and have lost just one game since the beginning of its current cycle, scoring an impressive 75 goals and conceding 13. The Stars and Stripes will look to Kennedy Wesley and Kate Weisner, who both have previous experience playing at the CONCACAF U-17 Championship and the U-17 Women’s World Cup already under their belts.

Canada will be looking to return to the top of the podium for the first time since winning the U-17 regional title in 2010. Three of their players have already earned call-ups to the senior national team: Jayde Riviere, Jordyn Huitema, and Ariel Young.

“This competition provides a great opportunity for players to experience new styles of play, heat, quick turnarounds between matches, and ultimately perform and flourish under pressure to qualify for a FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup,” Canada coach Beverly Priestman told CanadaSoccer.com. “It is a huge learning experience.”