Tesho Akindele scores in first half, Canada draws Azerbaijan in men’s friendly

Tesho Akindele scored in the 43rd minute, and Canada held on for a 1-1 draw with Azerbaijan in an international soccer friendly on Friday.

Scott Arfield set up Akindele for the first-half goal, giving Canada the lead at Stadion Rohrbach an der Lafnitz in Austria.

Dimitrij Nabokov replied for Azerbaijan, converting a penalty in the 57th minute.

Canada will next face Uzbekistan on Tuesday in Bad Waltersdorf.

The two-match series in Austria is a tune-up for a pair of crucial World Cup qualifiers for Canada in September.