Three big questions facing Canada in pre-World Cup friendly vs. Qatar

It’s unlikely that they’ll start but Theo Corbeanu, Luca Koleosho and Ismaël Koné can play pivotal roles in this match off the bench.

Corbeanu earned a well-deserved call-up after scoring three times in his last six games for Blackpool in England’s Championship. His dynamism, dribbling abilities and eye for goal will test the mettle of a tired Qatari defense.

Koleosho, who just turned 18 earlier this month, is back in a Canadian camp after his first call-up in June. Eligible for USA, Nigeria and Italy, the Espanyol teenager can’t be cap-tied in this window if he appears in a friendly for Canada so this is a win-win situation for all parties. Like Corbeanu, Koleosho is a terrific dribbler who is blessed with top vision for a young player, so he could also be a weapon from the bench.

Then there’s Koné, who has turned heads for CF Montréal this season. His smoothness on the dribble, calmness and vision will be vital if Canada need to unlock Qatar’s back line, or an offensive injection in general with few options in the midfield.