Helibelton Palacios is among the few Colombian footballers who play professionally in Turkey. While Elche CF continues training and preparing, the club is not taking a break. Palacios has been summoned to represent Colombia in a friendly match this Sunday at 19:00. The venue is Enrique Roca Stadium, also known as New Condomina, located in Murcia, where Colombia will face Saudi Arabia on their home soil this week. This selection marks a milestone for Palacios, who has earned recognition for his solid performances with Elche and his chance to step into the national team when it counts.
The Franjiverde defender is eager to embrace the national call, feeling that his long pursuit of a place in the squad has finally paid off thanks to his dependable form with the Spanish club. His sense of purpose is clear as he aims to prove his value on the international stage and help Colombia prepare for upcoming challenges.
Another Colombian international from Elche, Johan Mojica, will not be part of this squad due to a lingering muscle issue that kept him out at the end of the season. Mojica remains with Elche but plans to travel to Murcia to watch the match live and lend his support from the stands as his teammates take the field.
In attack, Colombia features Cucho Hernández, a forward who represents one of Elche’s assets for strengthening the national team’s threat next season. The match promises to captivate coaches and fans of the Franjiverde club alike, offering a chance to assess the team’s chemistry and offensive ideas at high tempo.
The article notes a shift in leadership, mentioning that a new selector is taking the reins. The Colombian team welcomed a new head coach, Argentinian Nestor Gabriel Lorezo, who was announced three days earlier. He will temporarily oversee Sunday’s game under the guidance of Hector Cárdenas, providing Palacios with additional motivation to deliver a strong performance that might influence future selections.
Colombia faces notable gaps in this call, for example the absence of star players like James Rodríguez, Luis Díaz, and Radamel Falcao García from the squad due to varying situations. Some players from the region have prepared for this encounter in recent days, while others, such as Pacheco Tower, balance club commitments with international duties. The plan is for Palacios to test himself against Saudi Arabia as part of a broader strategy to sharpen the squad ahead of forthcoming fixtures in Murcia against another South American opponent, Venezuela, scheduled for next Thursday.
On the Saudi side, Hervé Renard continues his preparations with a squad of 26 players as they chase form ahead of the World Cup. The Arab side is grouped with Argentina, Mexico, and Poland, forming Group C, with Renard aiming to solidify a cohesive unit before the tournament.
Possible rosters include: Colombia: Jose Luis Chunga; Daniel Muñoz, Carlos Cuesta, Davinson Sánchez, Yairo Moreno; Kevin Velasco, John Arrieta, Jaminton Campaz, Steven Alzate; Cucho Hernández and Rafael Santos Borré. Saudi Arabia: Mohammed El-Owais; Mohammed Al-Buraik, Hassan Al-Tambakti, Abdullah Atif, Yasser Al-Shahrani; Mohammed Kanno, Sami Al-Naji; Hattan Bahbri, Salman Al-Faraj, Salem Ali; Firas Al-Braikan.
The match official is Jason Lee Barcelo from Gibraltar, and the venue remains Enrique Roca Stadium in Murcia with kickoff set for 19:00 local time. The gathering is framed as a critical moment for both teams to fine-tune tactics, build team spirit, and align personnel ahead of major competitions on the horizon, with observers noting the strategic implications of this friendly for players looking to confirm their roles at the international level. This context underscores the importance of Palacios’s performance as a representative of Colombian football abroad, and the broader narrative of national team preparation that fans and analysts will be watching closely.