This weekend, there is no Lincoln City fixture, courtesy of the international break.
It’s not the first time we’ve lost a weekend to such matches, and as per usual, it hasn’t been hugely appreciated by some supporters. Disruption to travel plans and the loss of a big away day on a Saturday are two of the reasons the decision has taken some stick.
It does mean that some City players will be involved in international games, with three currently scheduled to appear for their country. In the brave new world of VPNs and internet access, it’s entriely possible you could find a way to watch these games, or at least keep an eye out for results.
Here are the games they’re due to play in, and a little context.
Dexter Lembikisa – Jamaica
Lembikisa has definitely been called up for Jamaica as they look to take a huge step towards the 2026 World Cup. They have two fixtures, one of which could be crucial to their qualification for the tournament.
Lembikisa is one of 15 UK-based players in Steve McClaren’s squad, looking to grab a vital win over Curaçao. That game takes place this Saturday, midnight our time, and victory would give the Reggae Boyz a five-point lead over their nearest rivals, with three games to play.
It will be no pushover – Curaçao are managed by Dick Advocaat, and feature players such as Tahith Chong and Middlesbrough’s Sontje Hansen.
They’re also the same side that beat Jamaica in the 2017 Caribbean Cup final, and this is one of two matches the two have to play against each other, the next being on November 19th.
| Pos | Club | MP | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jamaica | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| 2 | Curaçao | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 3 | Trinidad and Tobago | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -2 | 1 |
| 4 | Bermuda | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -5 | 0 |
Next Wednesday, they have a chance to secure qualification, results pending, by beating minnow Bermuda at home. They’ve already beaten the Gombey Warriors 4-0, and a victory there should be a formality. Their side is made up of players from across the English non-league, such as Reggie Lambe of Needham Market and Ne-Jai Tucker of Southport. Nahki Wells is their biggest name.
Lembikisa could win his 33rd and 34th caps for his country by appearing in both games.
Justin Obikwu – Trinidad and Tobago
Next up, Justin Obikwu for Trinidad. Officially, there has been no announcement for the Trinidad game, not on their official Twitter or website, so we’re assuming Justin has been called up. He’s not quite as experienced for his country as Lembikisa; he has three caps, the last two in the coming in the previous break totalled just 36 minutes of action. One of those matches, plus his debut in March 2024, were against Jamaica.
He’ll have all eyes on the Jamaica and Curaçao fixture, because his side are in action against Bermuda the day before, Friday 10th at 11 pm our time. If they were to win, and Jamaica lost, they’d draw level in second place, with a three-goal swing taking them second. Two of CONCACAF’s three second-placed teams will go into inter-confederation play-offs to be played in March.
They’d then have a chance to set up a humdinger of a tie with Curaçao on Wednesday, where a win for either side would give them the chance to strengthen that grip on second place. Thus far, they’ve drawn 0-0 with Dick Advocaat’s side and lost 2-0 to Jamaica.
Ivan Varfolomeev – Ukraine Under 21s
Ivan Varfolomeev is in action in a qualifier, but little will be decided this week. He’s likely to win his 10th and 11th caps for his country at this age group, making him the second-most experienced player in the squad. Only Illya Krupskyi has more (11). He’s also one of only five non-Ukraine-based players in the squad, the other being Illya Popovych (Kisvárda, Hungary), Timur Tutierov (Sunderland), Artem Stepanov (Leverkusen) and Bohdan Popov (Empoli).
His side are at home to Hungary on Friday at 5 pm our time, before a trip to Velika Gorica to face Croatia on Tuesday. Currently, they top the group courtesy of their recent 4-0 win against Lithuania, but having only played once, lots is yet to be decided.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ukraine | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 3 | Final tournament |
| 2 | Croatia | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | Play-offs |
| 3 | Hungary | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 4 | Turkey | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 5 | Lithuania | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | −4 | 1 | — |
Varfolomeev will likely face off against the likes of Liverpool keeper Ármin Pécsi and Lyon defender Teo Barišić during the week’s matches.
International Matches Featuring Imps
Friday 10th October
5 pm – Ukraine Under 21s v Hungary Under 21s
11 pm – Trinidad and Tobago v Bermuda
Saturday 11th October
12 am – Curaçao v Jamaica
Tuesday 14th October
5 pm – Croatia Under 21s v Ukraine Under 21s
Wednesday 15th October
12 am – Curaçao v Trinidad and Tobago
1 am – Jamaica v Bermuda
You must be logged in to post a comment.