Corneal looking forward to Jamaica challenge

TRINIDAD AND Tobago women football team coach Anton Corneal is looking forward to the challenge of hosts Jamaica today, when both teams square off at the National Stadium, Kingston from 10 pm (TT time).

TT have a record of two wins from two games in the CONCACAF Caribbean Women’s final round qualifiers, after edging Cuba 3-2 on Sunday and hammering Antigua/Barbuda 5-0 on Wednesday.

Kayla Taylor scored twice on Wednesday, in the 16th and 39th minutes, while Janine Francois (fourth), captain Tasha St Louis (30th) and Kennya Cordner (65th) also got their names on the scoresheet.

Jamaica are atop the five-team group with six points from two games, but a superior goal difference of plus-13, compared to Cuba’s plus-eight (Cuba have played three games) and TT’s plus-six.

Reflecting on Wednesday’s match, Corneal said, “It was a victory which we wanted to complete as it puts us two in two going into (today’s) match against the hosts.”

“Now, with these two wins to our name, we can breathe slightly easier because it means we are maybe one result away from securing qualification but there is a still a lot to be done to get where we want to as a team. Credit to the players for pulling off the win and now we’re looking forward to the test against Jamaica and I expect this to be a competitive fixture.”

Rounding off the group are Bermuda and Antigua/Barbuda (both without a point). The top three teams will advance to the CONCACAF Women’s Championship in the United States in October.

St Louis acknowledged, “I’m happy for the two results so far. We came here knowing that we needed to start well in the competition. We are taking each game as it comes.

“(Today’s) game is a massive one for us and very important for us as a team to see where we’re at right now. We need to win this one and we’re ready and waiting on the hosts.”