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Junior Hoilett scored the winner in the 81st minute as Canada cruised to a 1-0 victory in Suriname in the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinals on Friday, while Mexico lost 2-0 at Honduras.
The 34-year-old Hoilett, who plays for Hibernian in Scotland, grabbed a ball from Jonathan David and fired past Etienne Vaessen for the winner.
It was a deserved win for Jesse Marsch’s side, who can secure a place in the semi-finals in the second leg in Toronto on Tuesday.
Suriname, coached by former Ajax and Netherlands international Stanley Menzo, is a rising force in CONCACAF as its team is made up of players who play in various European leagues and they have made life difficult for the Canadians.
Canada were without their star player, Bayern Munich full-back Alphonso Davies, and they lacked the quality he normally brings to the final third.
Ali Ahmed should have done better from a central position but his shot was easily saved by Vaessen and then Tani Oluwaseyi saw his first shot hit a post, fly over the goal line and come out at the other post.
But Hoillett had the final say and was delighted with his 14th goal for his country.
“It’s great to get the win, to get on the scoresheet. I worked hard to get back into the team. “I’m just happy that we got the win,” he said.
Mexico still have a lot of work to do in Toluca on Tuesday if they are to come back from a two-goal deficit following a 2-0 loss to Honduran substitute Luis Palma in San Pedro Sula.
Honduras took the lead in the 64th minute when Guillermo Ochoa parried a low shot from Edwin Rodriguez and Palma fired the loose ball into the goal.
Palma sealed the win with seven minutes remaining when he capped off a counter-attack with a brilliant solo goal, shooting inside from the left wing and then firing past Ochoa.
However, there were ugly scenes after the final whistle when Mexico coach Javier Aguirre was hit by an object thrown from the crowd and left the pitch with his face bleeding.
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