Trinidad and Tobago enters two teams in Concacaf Girls' U-15 Champs

Trinidad and Tobago will field two under-15 girls’ teams for League B of the 2024 Concacaf Girls’ Under-15 Championships which will be held from August 5-11, with matches being played at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva and the Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar.

This year’s Concacaf Girls’ Under-15 Championships will feature a record 34 member associations for its fifth edition, an increase from the 20 teams that participated in the tournament in 2022.

Aruba, Costa and TT will serve as the host nations. League A will be hosted by Costa Rica, with TT and Aruba hosting League B and C respectively.

All three leagues will include a group stage and a subsequent knockout phase before a champion is crowned in the respective leagues.

A TT Football Association (TTFA) release on July 23 confirmed the “number of teams per league has been determined based on the Concacaf women’s under-17 rankings of March 2024.” The TTFA release said TT will be represented by a girls’ national under-15 team, as well as a High Performance team which has been added to the tourney as a replacement for Nicaragua, who emerged as League B champions at the competition’s previous edition in 2022. The US won the League A title in 2022 after defeating Canada 4-1 in the final.

TT’s under-15 team has been placed in Group C of League B alongside Antigua and Barbuda, Curacao and Grenada, with the High Performance team in Group D of League B with Guatemala, St Kitts and Nevis and the US Virgin Islands.

In the group stage, the teams will be required to play three games in the space of four days from August 5-8, with the semifinals and final scheduled for August 9 and 11 respectively.

TT’s opening game will be against Antigua and Barbuda on August 5, before they tackle Curacao and Grenada on August 6 and 8 respectively. The High Performance team will start their campaign against USVI, before facing St Kitts and Nevis and Guatemala in their next two group matches. TT’s representative teams will play all their group matches at the Ato Boldon Stadium.

League B consists of four groups, with the top team in each group advancing to the semifinals in Couva on August 9. The final and third-place playoff will also be played at the Ato Boldon venue.

Marlon Charles will serve as the head coach of the TT under-15 team, and he’s also been overseeing the High Performance programme.

Charles said the tourney gives the players the opportunity to gain more experience and a greater understanding for the game.

“To have 36 players able to play in this competition is a great opportunity for us. This augurs well for local women’s football, the programme and in particular for the players selected,” Charles told TTFA media.

Charles said he’s seen improvement in the group in the last year.

“From a technical and tactical point of view there is still some progress to be made but I believe they have developed physically, mentally and socially. It is definitely an exciting time for us.”

TTFA President Kieron Edwards said the championships will inspire young athletes to leave a lasting legacy.

“From a footballing standpoint, it provides our young girls with the opportunity to compete at an international level, fostering their growth and development in the sport,” Edwards said.

“The championship highlights the importance of women’s football, encouraging greater participation and support for the sport among girls and young women.”