Jacob Ribeiro elated to get Under-20 call up

TT Under-20 men’s footballer Jacob Ribeiro is excited to be part of the national set up as the team prepares for the Concacaf Under-20 Championships from June 18-July 3 in Honduras.

The top four teams in the 20-team tournament will qualify for the 2023 Fifa Under-20 World Cup in Indonesia.

Speaking to TT Football Association media, Ribeiro said, “It means a lot to me coming here training with the boys, experiencing a national level team…if I represent the country I will do my best, do everything for the badge and hopefully we can do well in the tournament.”

Ribeiro had experience playing at Malaga City Academy last season in Spain.

Speaking about how the opportunity at Malaga materialized, Ribeiro said, “I found the place online and you had to apply to it using highlight videos, you had to use a transcript (saying) where you played (and) your accomplishments in football. I sent it across to the academy and I got accepted and went there for the past ten months.”

Ribeiro, who developed as a player at Fatima College and Queen’s Park, said the transition to Malaga was “fairly easy to be honest.”

Ribeiro, who admires Argentine footballer Messi, said his father’s side of the family has a passion for football and through them he also developed a love for the game.

His father Anton and uncle Joel played football at Secondary School level.