Nicaragua national football team

Nicaragua

Nickname(s)	La Azul y Blanco (The Blue and White) Los Pinoleros Albiazules
Association	Nicaraguan Football Federation
Sub-confederation	UNCAF (Central America)
Confederation	CONCACAF (North America)
Head coach	Enrique Llena
Asst coach	Mauricio Cruz
Captain	Denis Espinoza
Top scorer	Emilio Palacios (11)
Home stadium	Estadio Cacique Diriangén
FIFA code	NCA
FIFA ranking	157
Highest FIFA ranking	132 (February 2009)
Lowest FIFA ranking	193 (May 2001)
Elo ranking	177
First colours Second colours
First international
El Salvador 9–0 Nicaragua (El Salvador; 1 May 1929)
Biggest win
Nicaragua 4–1 Puerto Rico (Managua, Nicaragua; 26 February 2012)
Biggest defeat
Brazil 14–0 Nicaragua (Mexico; 17 October 1975)
CONCACAF Championship & Gold Cup
Appearances	3 (First in 1963)
Best result	6th, 1967

The Nicaragua national football team is the national team of Nicaragua and is controlled by the Nicaraguan Football Federation. It is among the weakest teams in Central America and achieved its first qualification to a major international competition in 2009, when they qualified for the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup after a 2–0 win over Guatemala in the 2009 UNCAF Nations Cup.

Due to American influence throughout the country's history, baseball has more of a following as both a pursuit and spectator event in Nicaragua than football.

History

Nicaragua travelled to El Salvador for their first ever international, losing 9-0 to the hosts on 1 May 1929. They did not play another match for over twelve years, until the qualifying group for the 1941 CCCF championship in Costa Rica. They lost all 4 games: 7-2 to the hosts Costa Rica on 10 May, 8-0 to El Salvador on 13 May, 9-1 to the Netherlands Antilles on 15 May and 5-2 to Panama on 18 May. Therefore, Nicaragua finished bottom of the group and did not make the final group.

Records

World Cup record

The Nicaraguan national football team has never qualified for the World Cup. Their last attempt was for the 2014 World Cup, which they failed to qualify from a group with Panama and Dominica. The pinoleros ended in second place defeating Dominica twice and losing to Panama, first only by one.

• 1930 to 1990 – Did not enter
• 1994 to 2014 – Did not qualify

CONCACAF Championship record

• 1963 – Round 1
• 1965 – Did not qualify
• 1967 – 6th place
• 1969 – Did not enter
• 1971 to 1973 – Did not qualify
• 1977 to 1989 – Did not enter

Gold Cup record

• 1991 to 2007 – Did not qualify
• 2009 – Round 1
• 2011 to 2013 – Did not qualify

UNCAF Nations Cup record

Year	Round	GP	W	D	L	GS	GA
1991	Preliminary round	2	0	0	2	2	5
1993	Preliminary round	2	0	0	2	0	8
1995	Preliminary round	2	0	0	2	0	7
1997	First round	2	0	0	2	2	11
1999	First round	2	0	0	2	0	2
2001	First round	3	0	0	3	2	19
2003	Sixth Place	5	1	0	4	1	11
2005	Group Stage	3	1	0	2	2	9
2007	Sixth Place	4	1	0	3	6	14
2009	Fifth Place	4	1	2	1	5	6
2011	Sixth Place	4	0	1	3	2	7
2013	Group Stage	3	0	1	2	2	5
Total	Fifth Place	36	4	4	28	24	104

CCCF Championship record

• 1941 – Fifth Place
• 1943 – Fourth Place
• 1946 – Sixth Place
• 1948 – Did not enter
• 1951 – Third Place
• 1953 – Sixth Place
• 1955 to 1960 – Did not enter
• 1961 – Ninth Place

Central American and Caribbean Games

• 1930 - Did not qualify
• 1935 – Did not qualify
• 1938 - Did not qualify
• 1946 - Did not qualify
• 1950 - Group Stage
• 1954 – Did not qualify
• 1959 - Did not qualify
• 1962 - Did not qualify
• 1966 - Did not qualify
• 1970 - Group Stage
• 1974 - Quarter Final
• 1978 - Group Stage
• 1982 - Group Stage
• 1986 - Did not qualify
• 1990 – Did not qualify
• 1993 - Did not qualify
• 1998 - Quarter Final
• 2002 –Quarter Final
• 2006 - Did not qualify

Pan American Games record

• 1951 to 1971 – Did not enter
• 1975 – Round 1
• 1979 to 1987 – Did not enter
• 1991 – Round 1
• 1995 to 2007 – Did not enter

Personnel

Current staff

Head Coach	Enrique Llena
Assistant Coach	Mauricio Cruz
Physical Coordinator	Flavio Da Silva

Recent results and upcoming fixtures

See also: Nicaragua national football team 2012 and Nicaragua national football team 2013

Date	Tournament	Location	Opponent	Score	Nicaragua scorers
September 2, 2011	2014 World Cup Qualifier	Roseau, Dominica	Dominica	2 – 0	Leguías  1' Rodríguez  36'
September 6, 2011	2014 World Cup Qualifier	Managua, Nicaragua	Panama	1 – 2	Torres  1' (og)
October 7, 2011	2014 World Cup Qualifier	Panama City, Panama	Panama	1 – 5	Reyes  88'
November 11, 2011	2014 World Cup Qualifier	Managua, Nicaragua	Dominica	1 – 0	Leguías  57'
January 18, 2013	2013 Copa Centroamericana	San José, Costa Rica	Guatemala	1 – 1	Quijano  41'
January 20, 2013	2013 Copa Centroamericana	San José, Costa Rica	Costa Rica	0 – 2
January 22, 2013	2013 Copa Centroamericana	San José, Costa Rica	Belize	1 – 2	Figueroa  85'

Current squad

The following 23-man squad was selected for the 2013 Copa Centroamericana. Caps and goals updated as January 22, 2013.

0#0 Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club 1GK Denis Espinoza (1983-08-25) 25 August 1983 30 1 Deportivo Walter Ferretti 1GK Justo Lorente (1988-06-31) 31 June 1988 1 0 Real Estelí F.C. 1GK Josimar Narváez (1993-06-31) 31 June 1993 0 0 Diriangén FC 2DF David Solórzano (c) (1980-11-05) 5 November 1980 33 1 Diriangén FC 2DF Felix Zeledón (1983-11-24) 24 November 1983 23 1 Real Esteli F.C. 2DF Josue Quijano (1991-03-10) 10 March 1991 15 1 Deportivo Walter Ferretti 2DF Salvador García (1982-03-13) March 13, 1982 11 0 Real Estelí F.C. 2DF Maximo Gamez (1989-11-28) 28 November 1989 9 0 Managua F.C. 2DF Donald Parrales (1989-11-28) 28 November 1989 8 0 Deportivo Walter Ferretti 2DF Alejandro Tapia (1993-03-28) March 28, 1993 2 0 Diriangén FC 2DF Nasser Valverde (1993-01-04) January 4, 1993 1 0 Diriangén F.C. 3MF Félix Rodríguez (1984-04-27) 27 April 1984 17 2 Real Estelí F.C. 3MF Marlon Medina (1985-08-06) August 6, 1985 12 1 Real Estelí F.C. 3MF Raúl Leguías (1982-10-09) 9 October 1982 12 3 Managua F.C. 3MF Axel Villanueva (1989-08-10) 10 August 1989 12 2 Deportivo Walter Ferretti 3MF Medardo Martínez (1988-10-20) 20 October 1988 6 0 Deportivo Walter Ferretti 3MF Elvis Figueroa (1988-12-18) 18 December 1988 5 1 Managua F.C. 3MF Manuel Rosas (1983-10-14) October 14, 1983 3 0 Real Estelí F.C. 4FW Samuel Wilson (1983-04-04) 4 April 1983 27 4 Real Estelí F.C. 4FW Henry Garcia (1990-07-21) 21 July 1990 5 0 Juventus Managua 4FW Daniel Reyes (1990-07-21) 21 July 1990 4 1 Diriangen FC 4FW Carlos Chavarría (1993-10-09)9 October 1993 (aged 19) 1 0 Real Estelí F.C.

Recent call-ups

The following players have been called up to the Nicaragua squad in the past 12 months.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up GK Lester Acevedo (1992-03-20) 20 March 1992 0 0 Diriangén v. Cuba; May 29, 2011 DF Erick Téllez (1989-11-28) 28 November 1989 5 0 Diriangén for the 2013 Copa Centroamericana DF Yader Balladares (1987-01-22) 22 January 1987 0 0 Cartaginés for the 2013 Copa Centroamericana DF Manuel Gutiérrez (1987-01-20) January 20, 1987 3 0 Diriangén v. Cuba; May 29, 2011 MF Juan Barrera (1989-05-02) 2 May 1989 18 1 Deportivo Petare for the 2013 Copa Centroamericana MF Marcos Roman (1989-08-10) 10 August 1989 3 0 Diriangén for the 2013 Copa Centroamericana MF Marcos Mendez (1989-08-10) 10 August 1989 5 0 Diriangén for the 2013 Copa Centroamericana MF Milton Bustos (1982-04-19) April 19, 1982 11 2 Xilotepelt v. Guatemala; January 22, 2011 MF McPerson Garth (1992-03-22) 22 March 1992 1 0 Diriangén v. Cuba; May 29, 2011 MF Norman Eugarrios (1987-01-09) 9 January 1987 5 0 Chinandega v. Guatemala; May 29, 2011 MF Elvis Pinel (1992-03-22) 22 March 1992 1 0 Real Estelí v. Panama; Oct 19, 2011 FW Rudel Calero (1982-12-20) 20 December 1982 19 2 Real Estelí v. Cuba; May 29, 2011 FW Emilio Palacios (1983-10-08) 8 October 1983 20 9 Xilotepelt v. Cuba; May 29, 2011 FW Wilber Sánchez (1979-10-20) 20 October 1979 17 0 Real Estelí v. Cuba; TBA FW Norfran Lazo (1990-09-08) 8 September 1990 4 0 Deportivo Walter Ferretti v. Panama; Oct 19, 2011

Nicaragua Coaches

Name	From	To
Octavio Edmundo Salas Urbina	1941	?
Eduardo Kosovic [1]	1941	?
Santiago Bonilla	1952	?
Ferenc Mészáros	1967	?
Livio Bendaña Espinoza	1967	1970
Omar Muraco	1969	1970
José "Chingolo" Rodríguez	?	?
Omar Zambrana	?	?
Salvador Dubois Leiva		1991,1992
Mauricio Cruz Jiron	1993	2001
Maurizio Battistini	2002	June 2004
Marcelo Javier Zuleta	January 2005	September 2005
Carlos De Toro	September 2007	December 2008
Mauricio Cruz Jiron	December 2008	October 2008
Ramón Otoniel Olivas	November 2008	December 2009
Enrique Llena	January 2010 –

External links

• A Picture of the Team
• FENIFUT – Nicaraguan Football Federation
• Nicaragua – List of International Matches at RSSSF.com (Last updated: 7 July 2004)