SALEM, Va. --- Roanoke College Men's Soccer player Alec Taitague (James River High School, FC Richmond) has been selected to the Guam Senior Men's National Team roster for upcoming Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup play-offs.
The current senior from Richmond, Virginia, Taitague is eligible for play with the Guam Men's National Team, the Mateo, though the citizenship of his paternal grandparents.
A central midfielder, Taitague has appeared in 56 games for Roanoke College, making 43 starts. Alec has scored four goals with two assists, including a pair of game winners. For his efforts, Taitague was named Third Team All Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) after the 2019 season and in 2020 was named a member of the All ODAC Second Team.
Taitague will travel to Bahrain to face off against Cambodia in a two-leg competition. The two sides will face off for the right to advance to the third round of the qualifiers for the 2023 Asian Cup Playoffs. The matches between Guam and Cambodian were originally scheduled as a two-leg affair with one home and one away match, based on the original format. But this time, due to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the AFC decided to hold both matches at a centralized venue and chose Bahrain. The first leg match is scheduled for October 9, followed by the second leg battle three days later. The Khalifa Sports City Stadium in Isa Town will host both matches, according to FFC.
The winner will advance to the third round of the qualifiers where they will join the 13 countries that have already qualified; China, Syria, Iran, Qatar, Japan, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Iraq, Vietnam, Lebanon, Australia and Saudi Arabia are already in the Finals.
"We are so excited for and proud of Alec in this opportunity earned to compete for Guam at the full national team level. Alec is an excellent player, equal parts highly skillful, creative and competitive. Guam will certainly have some fans in Roanoke through this Asian Cup Qualifying cycle." Roanoke Men's Soccer Coach Ryan Pflugrad.
Taitague is the first Roanoke College men's soccer player to be named to a nations Senior Men's Soccer National Team. Adam Birch (New Zealand U17 Youth National Team), Marc Dinkel (Switzerland U17, U20, and U21 Youth National Team) and Philani Mlotshwa (Zimbabwe U17 and U20 Youth National Team) have all represented their countries at the youth level.
--- This release is courtesy of the Roanoke College athletic communications department. ---
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