Honduras Penalized After Mexico Coach Struck by Projectile

Honduras has been ordered to play its next home match behind closed doors following an incident where Mexico coach Javier Aguirre was hit by a full can of beer during a Concacaf Nations League game between the two countries. Aguirre had been reappointed as Mexico’s manager in July. Aguirre suffered a facial injury, with blood pouring down his face, after being struck by the can as he approached opposing manager Reinaldo Rueda for a post-match handshake. This occurred after host nation Honduras secured a 2-0 victory in the first leg of their Nations League quarter-final. Concacaf, the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football, launched an investigation and has taken disciplinary action against Honduras for “failing to implement adequate stadium security measures.” The governing body also stated: “The disciplinary committee has also fined the federation and warned them that more severe sanctions could be taken should similar incidents occur during future matches.” The Mexican football federation had previously declared that the behavior leading to their manager being hit had “no place in our sport,” while Honduras manager Rueda commented that the incident overshadowed his team’s win. Concacaf further noted that it was looking into “a separate disciplinary case investigating the conduct of Javier Aguirre during the aforementioned match.” The second leg of the tie is scheduled for 20 November, with the winner of the quarter-final advancing to qualify for the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup, which will be hosted in Canada and the United States.