Gaku Shibasaki and Yoel Bárcenas return from national duty

C.D. Leganés players Gaku Shibasaki and Yoel Bárcenas return to the pepinero camp after participating in their national squads in this qualifying window of the Qatar 2022 World Cup. Both Japan and Panama edged closer to securing qualification for the global tournament.

For Gaku Shibasaki, the qualifiers were not much of a stage as he did not play in either of Japan's qualifying games, which saw them overcome visiting China and Saudia Arabia by 2-0. The Samurai Blue are in second place and could seal their ticket to Qatar (the first two automatically qualify, third advances to a play-off) over their next and final two qualifiers, which at the end of March against Australia and Vietnam.

Bárcenas a key starter in Panama's three games

Yoel Bárcenas had the privilege of lining up in the starting XI in each of Panama's three qualifying fixtures this round, keeping them very much in the running in the CONCACAF group. Bárcenas played in the first 75 minutes in their defeat to Costa Rica (1-0), 77 minutes as they beat Jamaica (3-2), and until the final whistle in their narrow loss to Mexico (1-0). With three more qualifiers to come at the end of March, Panama are currently in 4th place, which would take them to an elimination game against the Oceanian winners, as the first three American nations acheive direct qualification.

Not to be forgotten is Kenneth Omeruo, whose Nigeria also faces the final stretch of qualifiers in March as they battle for one of the five coveted African spots. The Super Eagles, who suffered a defeat to Tunisia in their Round of 16 game of AFCON 2021, will play twice against Ghana, both home and away, to determine if they should reach the greatest tournament in the world.