OTTAWA – The Canada U23 squad that will visit Qatar for a pair of games next week was announced on Saturday morning, as 10 players with USL experience were included for the games against Qatar and Uzbekistan. The Swope Park Rangers’ Amer Didic and Mark Anthony Gonzalez were among those selected in the 18-player squad.

Canada’s U23 National Team will face Uzbekistan on Saturday, March 25 and Qatar on Tuesday, March 28, meaning the players selected will be unavailable for the opening weekend of the 2017 USL regular season.

Didic and Gonzalez both played a key role in leading the Rangers to the 2016 USL Western Conference Championship. Didic earned USL All-League First Team honors as he made 28 appearances at center back for the side, while also appearing on loan for Sporting Kansas City in the CONCACAF Champions League. Gonzalez led SPR with nine goals, and added four assists, during the 2016 USL regular season, and scored three times as the Rangers reached the USL Cup Final in their inaugural season.