Guatemala to Defend Its Crown in the Final of the VII AFECAVOL U23 Central American Championship

CHIRIQUÍ, Panama, September 19, 2025.– Guatemala’s National Team secured its place in the final of the VII AFECAVOL U23 Men’s Central American Championship after prevailing over Costa Rica in a fierce battle, winning 3-1 (25-23, 22-25, 25-18, 25-20).

For Guatemala, the defending champion, this will be their sixth final in the category, during which they have already collected five titles, the most recent in the 2023 edition.

Despite the score, it was not an easy match for Guatemala, who stayed calmer in the moments of pressure and pushed harder in their quest for the final ticket.

Costa Rica conceded 33 points from unforced errors compared to Guatemala’s 16, a factor that ultimately made the difference in the match result.

ÁLBUM DE FOTOS GUA VS CRC

Both teams were evenly matched, with Costa Rica slightly ahead in attack points (59-58) and service aces (5-0), while tied in blocking points (6-6).

Guatemala found its main attacking figures in José Pérez and Yeferson Zavala, who each scored 15 points, while Jerry Durán contributed 14.

For Costa Rica, Staley Grant was the top scorer with 33 points, followed by Ignacio Morales with 18 and Yulius Brown with 10.

After the match, Guatemala’s top scorer José Pérez said: “In our previous match against Belize, we got a little overconfident, but against Costa Rica that didn’t happen. This time, we entrusted ourselves to God and He gave us the victory because we were able to work as a team and play with grit. Costa Rica is a very strong team, but the key to winning was staying united and never letting our attitude drop.”

Staley Grant, Costa Rica’s leading scorer, added: “Guatemala was a very strong opponent. I feel that we could have given more, but unfortunately, we made too many mistakes. That made the difference because Guatemala played with very few errors.”