Ban on talking to the press and financial restrictions. What's happening with the Belize national team?

In football terms, the Belize national team is unremarkable: 178th out of 210 in the FIFA rankings and only one participation in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, let alone the World Cups. On the night of March 21st to 22nd, the team will play their first playoff match for a spot in the Gold Cup against Costa Rica, and the game is shrouded in unprecedented scandals.

Details: Many of them concern the actions of the Belize Football Federation. Journalists are outraged that the authorities have banned players from talking to the press without prior permission. At the same time, some are unable to adequately respond to allegations from head coach Charlie Slusher about insufficient commitment in training.

In essence, the lack of commitment is because the Belize national team is essentially... amateur. The federation recently canceled the $350 match fee, and the education scholarship was reduced from $100 to $50. Under these conditions, players need to have jobs outside of football, and as a result, not everyone can attend training sessions in full.

Reminder: The Belize national team defeated French Guiana 4-3 in the CONCACAF Nations League play-in, allowing the team to continue fighting for a spot in the main national team tournament in North America.