La Paz, Aug 18 (EFE). – Argentina’s Gustavo Costas, Bolivia’s football coach, has called up 22 players with an average age of 22.7 for Friday’s friendly with Panama in Cochabamba on August 27.
As reported by the Bolivian Soccer Federation (FBF), the list includes 14 players “who are 23 years of age or younger”, eight of whom are under the age of 20 and four footballers who play for foreign teams.
Among the ‘foreign’ players are American Atlanta United defender Efrain Morales, midfielder Miguel Terceros and forward Enzo Monteiro, both of Brazilian Santos, as well as Atletico Paranaense striker Fernando Nava, also from Brazil.
The group of footballers with “experience” is composed of La Paz’s strongest players, such as goalkeeper Guillermo Viscara, defender Adrián Jusino, Argentine-Bolivian Luciano Ursino and Jaime Arrascata, the latter two midfielders.
The basis of this call for Costas is Always Ready from El Alto, which contributes with seven footballers.
For the game against Panama, Bolivia will not have players from Bolivar de la Paz, the team that played in the quarter-finals of the Copa Libertadores, nor will the Ecuadorian Independiente del Valle’s historic scorer Marcelo Martins.
La Verde’s concentration will begin this August 24 in La Paz and plans to travel to Cochabamba the day before the friendly match.
The match against Panama will be the last filter for Costas to define the list of players for the games against Brazil, as a visitor, and against Argentina in La Paz for the start of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
The players called up by Costas for the match against Panama are:
Goalkeepers: Guillermo Viscarra (Strongest), Bruno Poveda (Wilstermann) and Braulio Urazena (Blooming).
Defenders: Adrian Jusino (strongest), Pablo Vaca (Always Ready), Efrain Morales (Atlanta United-USA), Marcelo Suarez (Always Ready), Diego Medina (Always Ready), Hector Cuellar (Always Ready), Carlos Roca (The The Strongest) and Denilson Duran (Blooming).
Midfielders: Luciano Ursinos (The Strongest), Carlos Sejas (Aurora), Miguel Terceros (Santos-BRA), Daniel Rojas (Orient Petrolero), Julio Herrera (Always Ready), Jaime Arrascata (The Strongest) and Adalid Terrazas (Always Ready) .
Forwards: Victor Abrego (Universitario de Vinto), Enzo Monteiro (Santos-BRA), Fernando Nava (Athletico Paranaense-BRA) and Jose Martinez (Always Ready).
(c) EFE Agency