Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Edson Castillo finally made his first international appearance for Venezuela since October 2021.
Castillo, 29, has had an impressive start since joining Chiefs in the offseason, scoring three goals in 12 appearances for the club.
His fine form at club level hasn’t gone unnoticed and head coach Fernando Batista has called him up for a second international window in a row.
However, while he didn’t feature in any minutes during the previous international break, Castillo made his seventh national appearance for Venezuela in their 0-0 draw with Ecuador on Thursday night.
Castillo came on in the 84th minute to replace Cristian Casseres Jr., as Venezuela extended their unbeaten run to three matches.
They currently sit in fourth place in the CONMEBOL 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, having collected eight points from five matches – one more than Brazili.
Meanwhile, Castillo’s Amakhosi teammate Thatayaone Ditlhokwe suffered a FIFA World Cup qualifier opener defeat after his side lost 3-2 to Mozambique at home – Edmilson Dove did not feature for Mozambique.
