Four Canadian MLS players will make the long trip to the Middle East as members of the 21-man Canadian men's national team squad squad that will take on Japan and Belarus in friendlies in Doha, Qatar, on March 22 and 25, respectively.
After earning his first two senior Canadian caps in January against Denmark and the United States, Toronto FC midfielder Kyle Bekker has been called into his second consecutive Canadian camp.
He will be joined in Qatar by TFC teammate Ashtone Morgan, D.C. United defender Dejan Jakovic and Portland Timbers midfielder Will Johnson (above).
READ: Canada announce Belarus friendly, name Tony Fonseca interim head coach
Interim head coach Tony Fonseca’s squad includes 12 players who were in the squad when Canada were eliminated from World Cup qualifying last October in Honduras.
Veteran players making their first appearances in a Canadian jersey since that fateful day are Atiba Hutchinson, Julian de Guzman and Simeon Jackson.
Goalkeeper Tomer Chencinski of Maccabi Tel Aviv and forward Stefan Cebara of NK Celje in Slovenia are the only two players who have been called into their first senior team camp.
FULL CANADIAN NATIONAL TEAM SQUAD
Goalkeepers (2):Milan Borjan (Sivasspor/Turkey), Tomer Chencinski (Maccabi Tel Aviv/Israel)
Defenders (6): David Edgar (Burnley/England), Andre Hainault (Ross County/Scotland), Dejan Jakovic (D.C. United), Adam Straith (FC Saarbrucken/Germany), Marcel de Jong (FC Augsburg/Germany), Ashtone Morgan (Toronto FC).
Midfielders (8): Kyle Bekker (Toronto FC), Samuel Piette (Fortuna Dusseldorf/Germany), Julian de Guzman (SSV Jahn Regensburg/Germany), Atiba Hutchinson (PSV Eindhoven/Netherlands), Will Johnson (Portland Timbers), Nik Ledgerwood (Hammarby/Sweden), Pedro Pacheco (CD Santa Clara/Portugal), Issey Nakajima-Farran (Alki Larnaca/Cyprus)
Forwards (5): Stefan Cebara (NK Celje/Slovenia), Randy Edwini-Bonsu (Eintracht Braunschweig/Germany), Marcus Haber (Stevenage/England), Simeon Jackson (Norwich City/England), Tosaint Ricketts (Sandnes Ulf/Norway)
