Concluding their tie in the preliminary phase of 2026 World Cup qualifying, Turks and Caicos will welcome Anguilla to Providenciales on Tuesday.
The two CONCACAF minnows played out a goalless draw in last week's first leg, leaving progression to the next stage up for grabs at the TCIFA National Academy.
Match preview
Getting the first round of CONCACAF's World Cup qualifiers under way on Friday, the first-ever official meeting between Anguilla and Turks & Caicos ended in a stalemate at the Raymond E. Guishard Stadium.
Hosts Anguilla managed to finally halt an 11-match losing streak in qualifying for football's global finals, but they should have broken the deadlock with a second-half penalty, which they were unable to convert.
Ultimately, the Turks & Caicos Islands defence held firm to secure an away draw, leaving them as favourites for progression to the second phase, where a place alongside Jamaica, Guatemala, Dominican Republic and Dominica awaits.
Having joined FIFA less than 30 years ago, they have only one previous World Cup qualifying victory to their name - versus Saint Lucia on the road to South Africa 2010 - but recent CONCACAF Nations League games have shown some promise.
Turks & Caicos won three of their six fixtures in the 2022-23 edition, scoring 10 goals in the process, before faring less well in 2023-24, registering a solitary point.
In recent years, Anguilla have earned a pair of draws in League C of the 2022-23 Nations League before being unable to get on the scoresheet this season.
After 12 previous attempts, the tiny Caribbean nation are still in pursuit of a first-ever victory in World Cup qualifying, and since their first international match in 1985 they have won only eight times overall.
CONCACAF's lowest-ranked team - at 209, they lie three places below Turks & Caicos - only European minnows San Marino are beneath them in FIFA's global pecking order.
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Team News
With plenty of experience in the United States' lower leagues, Turks & Caicos striker Billy Forbes will again lead the hosts' attack on Tuesday, when he aims to extend his all-time national goalscoring record.
Former Jamaica international Aaron Lawrence recently assumed the role of manager, having previously served as goalkeeping coach, and he may consider a more attacking approach for a second leg on home soil.
Meanwhile, Anguilla boss Keith Jeffery is likely to stick with a five-man defence in Providenciales, with the emphasis on hitting their hosts on the break.
England-based forward Kyle Lake-Bryan provides the visitors' focal point up front, where Jonathan Guishard and Lamar Carpenter - both scorers in the 2022-23 CONCACAF Nations League - are also in contention to play.
Kieron Lake-Bryan should join his brother in the starting XI, featuring at the heart of Anguilla's defence.
Turks and Caicos possible starting lineup:
Turbyfield; Gedeon, Cadet, Howell, Messieur; Park, Belizaire, Burey, Martin; Forbes, Paul
Anguilla possible starting lineup:
Lawrence; Connor, Paris, Fleming, Kieron Lake-Bryan, Lee; Smeins, Duncan, Hughes; Kyle Lake-Bryan, Carpenter
We say: Turks and Caicos 1-0 Anguilla (Turks and Caicos win 1-0 on aggregate)
Having escaped with a draw from last week's first leg, the hosts can now make the most of home advantage to seal a place in Group E. There is little to choose between these two Caribbean nations, but the weight of history will be on Anguilla, who are yet to win a World Cup qualifier.
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Jonathan O'Shea
