Canada Soccer has announced the 21-player squad, along with two alternates and five training players, selected by Head Coach Cindy Tye for the upcoming 2025 Concacaf Women’s U-20 Qualifiers. Among the players called up to th roster is Whitecaps FC Girl Elite Academy defender Keira Martin.
The roster also features a number of Whitecaps FC Girls Elite alumni, including Kierra Blundell, Sienna Gibson, Jeneva Hernandez Gray, Kaylee Hunter, and Iba Oching, as well as alternates Noelle Sather and Emma Yee.
The tournament, set to take place from 20-25 February will determine the final six teams advancing to the 2025 Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship.
The 2025 Concacaf Women’s U-20 Qualifiers features 24 Concacaf Member Associations, divided into six groups of four teams. The first-place finisher in each group will advance to the 2025 Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship later this year, joining the pre-seeded top-ranked nations, the United States and Mexico.
Canada will compete in Group E alongside Trinidad & Tobago, Bermuda, and Dominica, with all matches taking place at Ato Boldon Stadium in Port of Spain, Trinidad. The team will first face Dominica on Wednesday, 21 February (15:00 ET / 12:00 PT), followed by Bermuda on Friday, 23 February (15:00 ET / 12:00 PT), and will conclude the group stage on Sunday, 25 February against Trinidad & Tobago (18:00 ET / 15:00 PT).
“We are looking forward to getting this group together for the first time and assessing them in a tournament setting. It is a short runway to the first match, so we will have to adapt quickly and grow throughout the tournament. This is a talented group, and we are excited to get going.”
- Cindy Tye, Canada Soccer’s Women’s U-20 National Team Head Coach
Six players from Canada’s FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Colombia 2024™ squad will return for the Concacaf Women’s U-20 Qualifiers, bringing valuable tournament experience to the group. At the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia, Canada reached the knockout stage for the first time since 2014, before falling 2-1 to Spain in the Round of 16. Among the returning players is forward Annabelle Chukwu, who made history in Colombia by surpassing Christine Sinclair’s Canadian youth international goalscoring record. The 17-year-old now holds the record with 28 goals in just 34 matches from the U-15 to U-20 levels.
CANADA
GK - Olivia Busby // NDC Ontario
GK - Sofia Cortes-Browne // Arizona State
GK - Noelle Henning // NDC Ontario
DF - Jadea Collin // University of Wisconsin–Madison
DF - April Lantaigne // AFC Toronto
DF - Inès Nourani // CF Montréal / NDC-CDN Québec
DF - Iba Oching // University of Iowa
DF - Janet Okeke // NC State University
DF - Stephanie Schoeley // Providence College
MF - Sienna Gibson // University of British Columbia
MF - Ava Greco // Ohio State University
MF - Jeneva Hernandez Gray // Sporting CP
MF - Ella Kettles // Arizona State Univesity
MF - Teegan Melenhorst // NDC Ontario
MF - Juliette Perreault // CF Montréal / NDC-CDN Québec
FW - Kierra Blundell // Arizona State University
FW - Annabelle Chukwu // Univesity of Notre Dame
FW - Natelle El Mokbel // CF Montréal / NDC-CDN Québec
FW - Kaylee Hunter // AFC Toronto
FW - Léa Larouche // Butler University
FW - Keira Martin // Whitecaps FC / NDC-CDC British Columbia
Alternates:
MF – Noelle Sather // Univesity of South Florida
FW – Emma Yee // University of Illinois
Training Players:
DF – Taylor Yablonski // University of Nebraska
MF – Liana Tarasco // CF Montreal / NDC-CDN Québec
FW – Anaiyah Robinson // University of Tennessee
FW – Lael Hill // Orlando City Youth SC
