A trio of North Carolina FC standouts went on international duty this past week, as Nazmi Albadawi (Palestine), Dre Fortune (Trinidad & Tobago) and Yamikani Chester (Malawi) each linked up with their respective national teams. 

Here’s a recap of how each player and their sides fared. 

Palestine National Team (caps/goals)

Nazmi Albadawi (10/1) 

Games: 

Yemen 1-0 Palestine, 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifier  – November 14, 2019 – Muharraq, Bahrain 

Albadawi started and played the full 90 for Palestine, which dropped a one-goal affair to Yemen. Palestine went down a man in the 35th minute when Mahmoud Abu Warda picked up a second yellow card, and Yemen made Palestine pay when Omar Al Dahi scored the match’s only goal in the 54th minute. 

Uzbekistan 2-0 Palestine, 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifier – November 19, 2019 – Tashkent, Uzbekistan 

Albadawi once again started and played the entirety of the match for a second straight game as Palestine was defeated thanks to a brace by Uzbekistan’s Eldor Shomurodov, who scored in the 18th and 58th minutes. Albadawi helped create a scoring chance in the 36th minute with a precise through ball, but Palestine never could find the back of the net. After its two most-recent games, Palestine finds itself in fourth place in Group D in the second round of the Asian Football Confederation’s World Cup qualifying process. 

Trinidad & Tobago National Team 

Dre Fortune (2/0) 

Games: 

Ecuador 3-0 Trinidad & Tobago, International Friendly – November 14, 2019 – Portoviejo, Ecuador 

Fortune, a Raleigh native and NCFC Youth Academy product, earned his first start with the Trinidad & Tobago senior team as he was named in head coach Dennis Lawrence’s lineup for the Soca Warriors’ away friendly against Ecuador. Fortune, who scored eight goals against USL Championship opponents in 2019, played 80 minutes in the match. 

Honduras 4-0 Trinidad & Tobago, Concacaf Nations League – November 17, 2019 – San Pedro Sula, Honduras 

Fortune was an unused substitute in Trinidad & Tobago’s loss at Honduras.

Malawi National Team 

Yamikani Chester (9/0)

Games: 

Malawi 1-0 South Sudan, 2021 African Cup of Nations Qualifier – November 13, 2019 – Blantyre, Malawi 

Chester, who found the back of the net five times in his first season with NCFC in 2019, started and was active in Malawi’s attack as the Flames captured a crucial victory over South Sudan in 2021 African Cup of Nations qualifying. 

Uganda 2-0 Malawi, 2021 African Cup of Nations Qualifier – November 17, 2019 – Kira, Uganda 

Chester once again started for Malawi, but the Flames were unable to perform well on the road, as the hosts took all three points with goals in the 29th and 68th minutes. Malawi holds third place in Group B in the third round of the 2021 AFCON qualification tournament. 
 

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