There are big changes to Race for the Roster this week, but not because of anything on the pitch: Steven Caldwell is away this week and Kevin Kilbane assumes his duties in constructing Canada’s roster for next summer’s 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Capped 110 times by Ireland, Kilbane played at the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Japan and South Korea, so he intimately knows the pressures of competing in the planet’s most prestigious quadrennial tournament. While he doesn’t take a cleaver to Caldwell’s team, Kilbane brings out a scapel to make some precision cuts and slight rearrangements.
Up front is where Kilbane makes one of his first changes.
While Promise David, who scored again on the weekend for Union SG to keep pace with the Belgian Pro League’s goals leaders, is in the best form among Canada’s forward options, Kilbane selects Villarreal’s Tani Oluwaseyi as the partner for Jonathan David up front for Canada. In doing so, he bumps Caldwell’s selection of Clyle Larin, who saw his first Feyenoord action this past week, to the bench. Oluwaseyi, who made his move to Spain from Minnesota United late last month, picked up his first La Liga goal midweek against Valencia in a 2-1 victory. Kilbane cites Oluwaseyi’s speed and potency on the counter as to why he’s the ideal fit for Jesse Marsch’s starting XI.
On the wing, Kilbane does something that Caldwell has been considering for the past several weeks in locking in Tajon Buchanan to the starting XI. The Villarreal man has done enough for club and country in recent months to convince Kilbane that nobody is coming for his spot.
Kilbane makes another change in, this time in midfield, swapping Ismäel Koné back in for Niko Sigur. Caldwell initially had Koné as part of his starting XI, but made the change to the Hajduk Split midfielder as Koné’s form dipped after a falling out with Marseille manager Roberto De Zerbi and subsequent loan move to Rennes in the first half of 2025. Now on loan at Sassuolo, Koné notched his first Serie A goal on the weekend in a 3-1 win over Udinese. Kibane is confident that Koné is headed back to his best.
Perhaps Kilbane’s biggest change is in goal. He prefers Maxime Crepeau to Dayne St. Clair in what will likely be the most hotly contested battle for a starting place. Kilbane says the Portland Timbers man is just better suited for Marsch’s style of play. Crepeau, 31, is currently sidelined after incurring a concussion during Canada’s 3-0 friendly victory over Romania earlier this month.
Here’s a look at Kilbane’s team for Week 17.
Race for the Roster: Week 17 (4-4-2)
Forwards
STARTERS: Jonathan David (Juventus) and Tani Oluwaseyi (Villarrea)
BENCH: Promise David (Union SG), Daniel Jebbison (Preston North End, on loan from Bournemouth) and Cyle Larin (Feyenoord, on loan from Mallorca)
Midfield and Defenders
STARTING MIDFIELDERS: Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich) INJ, Ismäel Koné (Sassuolo, on loan from Marseille), Stephen Eustaquio (Porto) and Tajon Buchanan (Villarreal)
BENCH: Niko Sigur (Hajduk Split), Jacob Shaffelburg (Nashville), David “Junior” Hoilett (Hibernian), Nathan Saliba (Anderlecht), Mathieu Choiniere (Los Angeles FC) and Ali Ahmed (Vancouver Whitecaps)
STARTING DEFENDERS: Richie Laryea (Toronto FC), Derek Cornelius (Rangers, on loan from Marseille), Moise Bombito (Nice) and Alistair Johnston (Celtic) INJ
BENCH: Sam Adekugbe (Vancouver Whitecaps) INJ, Jamie Knight-Lebel (Swindon Town, on loan from Bristol City), Joel Waterman (Chicago Fire) and Luc de Fougerolles (Dender, on loan from Fulham)
Goalkeeper
STARTER: Maxime Crepeau (Portland Timbers) INJ
BENCH: Dayne St. Clair (Minnesota United) and Tom McGill (Brighton)
IN THE HUNT: : James Pantemis (Portland Timbers) and Jonathan Sirois (CF Montreal)
