Two African delegates withdrew from this group, despite having introductory videos and participating in Supra Chat: Equatorial Guinea‘s Maria Rosa Aviri Ncogo and Sierra Leone‘s Aminance Fofanah. Despite the further attrition, the competition proceeded smoothly. Here’s an assessment of Groups 7 to 9.

GROUP 7. Argentina, Colombia, Cuba, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Spain

ARGENTINA – Camila Barraza. Neither representing Kosovo in Miss Universe 2016 nor her homeland in Miss Grand International 2022 could catch this model a break. Here’s hoping she somehow finally earns her due, because she’s always been a strong performer.

COLOMBIA – Daniela Roldán. No doubt, the country struggled last year and, though a resurgence is still not set in stone, this statuesque fashion designer does gets noticed. 

CUBA – Freddra Reyes. This Miami-based model isn’t mentioned much, but she might go for the Miss Photogenic prize, and even pull a surprise placement altogether.  

EL SALVADOR – Verónica Gaytán. She may not be top of mind, but being the only Latina Supra Chat finalist might just amount to something. 

NICARAGUA – Maycrin Jan. At this point, it’s impossible to mention this country without referencing Sheynnis Palacios, regardless of the pageant being covered. This TV host may not be of the same level of contention, but she’s a worthwhile entrant who qualified for Talent.

SPAIN – Luna Negrin. Her stunning predecessor missed the cut and, so far, this journalism student isn’t receiving much buzz. Here’s hoping she still powers through because she does have the merits to place.   

GROUP 8. Albania, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Malta, Zambia

ALBANIA – Argita Xhangoli. She’s a recording artist, which makes that Talent nod a no-brainer. Much as she’s not mentioned outside of that, her unique look might make her a refreshing surprise. 

DENMARK – Sofie Ørn Andersen. Obviously, the Land of the Little Mermaid had quite the resurgence last year, and this cardiology nurse follows the current Miss Universe’s archetype. She might just pass muster, even without the same level of hype as her Top 12-placing predecessor.

ESTONIA – Samantha Kasela. The Baltic state just ended its Miss World drought, so that’s one reason to still celebrate. Here, this dental intern faces a steeper climb, though it’s nice to see the country back after a decade.  

LATVIA – Medlar Rosenberg. Just like Estonia, this country also returns after a decade, though this stylist isn’t pegged to continue what 2013’s Diana Kubasova started.

MALTA – Hayley Ghiller. This procurement specialist sums up her island nation’s current pageant predicament: being ignored despite doing things right. What would it take to earn this country a break?

ZAMBIA – NaMakau Nawa. Had the pageant raised 2022’s placement tally to 25, then this country would have already scored a breakthrough. On the bright side, this accounting student might just finally pull that off, especially with Supra Chat and Supra Model as possible tickets. Additionally, she earned extra limelight as a Talent qualifier. 

GROUP 9. Indonesia, Japan, Macao, Malaysia, Nepal

INDONESIA – Firsta Yufi Amarta Putri. Let’s cut to the chase and say a back-to-back isn’t far-fetched, because this management student is clearly of the same league as the reigning Supra-Queen – some might say, even stronger. It’s just a question of whether or not the judges would allow such a milestone. Moreover, the amplified competition leaves no guarantees.

JAPAN – Nao Kawada. After two consecutive years of sending half-Pinays, the Land of the Rising Sun reverts to full blood. This IT professional might be overlooked, but she’s polished enough to possibly defy the odds. 

MACAO – Feng-Wei Zhou. This Canada-based lawyer was born in Ganzhou, which makes you wonder why she didn’t represent the Mainland instead. Either way, it’s a steep climb, though it’s safe to assume she aced the closed-door interview. 

MALAYSIA – Eshwin Kaur. The country broke its placement streak last year, but now has a shot at surging back. Apart from topping her Supra Chat round, this forensic science graduate also won Supra Model of Asia.

NEPAL – Dikshya Awasthi. Along with Miss International, this pageant remains this country’s Waterloo. So, even if this lawyer appears to be its best shot yet, a breakthrough is still far from certain.