From Arctic Snow to AFCON Qualifiers: Six Hibs players endure mixed fortunes on international duty
How Hibs' international sextet fared in their opening November clashes
The final international break of the year is in full swing, with six Hibs players called up to represent their countries this month.
Four first team regulars and two academy prospects have pulled on their respective national team jerseys in recent days - here is a round-up of how they have fared so far:
Miguel Chaiwa - Zambia
The combative central midfielder was selected by Zambia for their latest Africa Cup of Nations qualifying double-header against Burundi, who sat bottom of the group after two rounds of fixtures.
Chaiwa played the full 90 minutes in a 1-1 draw on Friday, helping to anchor the midfield in a 4-2-3-1 formation at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola. The 22-year-old produced a composed and disciplined shift in the middle of the park, recording the highest passing volume and accuracy - 47 / 52 (90.4%) - during the match.
After taking four points from a possible nine in Group I, the Chipolopolo will recognise the importance of claiming maximum points from the return leg when the two sides meet again in Bujumbura on Tuesday.
Thibault Klidje - Togo
In the same qualifying section as Zambia, Klidje’s Togo had picked had also picked up one win for their first batch of fixtures in September. Two stern test lay ahead of the Sparrowhawks this month against group leaders Algeria, who reached the this summer’s FIFA World Cup knockout stages.
Klidje was left out of the starting line-up and an unused substitute in their 1-0 first leg defeat at the Hocine Ait Ahmed Stadium in Algeria on Saturday evening.
Togo spent most of the contest defending in a low block as Algeria controlled 72% possession, with their match-winner coming in the 76th minute. Defeat leaves Togo sitting in third place on three points, ahead of their immediate return fixture in Lomé on Tuesday.
Owen Elding & Jacob Devaney - Republic of Ireland U/21s
Two Hibees joined up with the Republic of Ireland squad for their crucial UEFA Under-21 Championship Qualification play-off tie against Finland, with Elding and Devaney both seeking to play their part in helping the Irish secure a place at next year’s tournament.
A 3-1 victory over England in their final group stage fixture in October allowed Jim Crawford’s side to move past Slovakia, who were level on points, into the play-offs via head-to-head ranking.
The first leg against Finland took place in difficult Arctic conditions at Tammelan Stadion in Tampere on Friday afternoon, with Elding and Devaney both starting in a 1-0 defeat with the decisive goal coming in first-half stoppage time. The clash was disrupted by heavy snowfall, delaying the half-time interval by 30 minutes while ground staff cleared the pitch with snowmobiles.
Dropping down from the senior setup to make his U21 debut, Elding played the full 90 minutes in an attacking midfield role behind striker Tommy Lonergan. Meanwhile, on-loan Manchester United midfielder Devaney was returning to action after spending a month on the sidelines with an ankle injury. It marked his fourth consecutive start for the 21s and he lasted 85 minutes being being substituted.
The return leg will be staged at Turner’s Cross in Cork on Tuesday evening.
Lewis Gillie - Scotland U/19s
Currently impressing on loan at SPFL League Two pacesetters Stranraer, the 18-year-old centre-back had been a regular starter in Tam Courts' under-19 backline across both group matches so far.
That theme continued on Saturday evening as Gillie helped the young Scots clinch back-to-back wins in their UEFA European Under-19 Championship Round 2 qualifiers, keeping a clean sheet in a 1–0 victory over Kosovo at Broadwood Stadium.
It followed a 3-1 win over Kazakhstan at the Albert Bartlett Stadium on Wednesday afternoon, with the final game of November’s triple-header coming against Belgium on Tuesday morning back at Broadwood.
Scotland had already progressed from Group A2 in Round 1 by finishing runners-up, with Gillie starting all three games against Italy, Ireland and Poland.
Logan Jimenez - Bermuda
Versatile Academy talent Jimenez was named in the Bermuda squad for their CONCACAF Group B Nations League matches, just a few weeks on from scoring for Hibs under-19s in an Edinburgh Derby victory over Hearts.
Having already seen their relegation to League C confirmed prior to kick-off, the Gombey Warriors used their penultimate match against Saint Lucia at the at the Stade Roger Zami on Friday night to blood younger talents alongside Jiménez in preparation for their final group game against hosts Guadeloupe on Monday.
Bermuda crashed to a 2-1 defeat, with the 18-year-old starting at left-back and playing the full 90 minutes.