Reigning champs Fatima, 'Naps' clash in SSFL premier division

Reigning Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) premier division champions Fatima College and four-time premier division winners Naparima College will go head-to-head in Mucurapo from 3.30 pm on September 18 to highlight the third round of matches in the 2024 SSFL season.

Naparima began their season with back-to-back wins versus East Mucurapo Secondary and Trinity College East (TCE), with Fatima starting their league season with a thumping 8-0 win against the newly-promoted Miracle Ministries Pentecostal High School on September 14.

Having already clinched the curtain-raising National Gas Company (NGC) Super Cup against last season’s national intercol winners Presentation College (San Fernando), the Fatima outfit reminded all teams of their wrath with their dismantling of Miracle Ministries.

The Hutson Charles-coached team will have to do without the services of forward Jonathan Mason for the remainder of the season, though, after the former national under-15 player suffered a hairline fracture of his fibula and tibia in the second half of their last encounter.

The marquee clash between Fatima and Naparima will be televised live by SportsMax and will kick off 30 minutes before the other matches which will all commence at 4 pm.

There will be a couple of other intriguing matches featuring unbeaten teams, with joint-leaders St Anthony’s College hosting Arima North Secondary in Westmoorings and Malick Secondary hosting the season’s early surprise package Signal Hill Secondary at St Mary’s College grounds, St Clair.

The “Westmoorings Tigers” started their season with a thumping 6-0 win over rivals St Mary’s and followed it up with a 2-1 win over East Mucurapo Secondary. As they hunt a third straight victory, the reigning north zone intercol champions are expected to face a much sterner test from current east zone intercol holders Arima.

Arima hammered St Augustine Secondary by a 5-0 margin in their previous fixture after playing to a goalless draw with 2022 premier division champions St Benedict’s College in their season-opener.

Signal Hill, one of four teams currently on six points from two matches, will aim to continue their impressive start in the top flight after gaining promotion last season.

San Juan North Secondary fell to a tight 3-2 loss away to Signal Hill in the last round, and they will hope to bounce back to winning ways when they host Mucurapo at their Bourg Mulatresse home base.

At Mahaica Oval, Point Fortin, St Benedict’s will host a TCE team which is still searching for their first points of the season after losses to Signal Hill and Naparima.

At Edinburgh, Chaguanas, Miracle Ministries and St Mary’s College will battle in a contest between the teams bringing up the rear of the 16-team table. After just two matches, Miracle Ministries have already conceded 14 goals and they will want to stop the bleeding against the “Saints” and grab their first points of the season.

In other matches, Queen’s Royal College will host Speyside Secondary at QRC grounds, with St Augustine hosting Presentation at their Gordon Street, St Augustine compound.

Presentation currently share top spot on the table alongside St Anthony’s, and will fancy grabbing another three points on the road against the “Green Machine.”

SSFL premier division standings

Team*GP*W*D*L*GF*GA*GD*Pts

1.Presentation (San Fernando)*2*2*0*0*8*1*7*6

2.St Anthony's College*2*2*0*0*8*1*7*6

3.Naparima*2*2*0*0*5*2*3*6

4.Signal Hill*2*2*0*0*6*4*2*6

5.Arima North*2*1*1*0*5*0*5*4

6.Malick*2*1*1*0*5*3*2*4

7.St Benedict's*2*1*1*0*3*1*2*4

8.Fatima*1*1*0*0*8*0*8*3

9.San Juan North*2*1*0*1*4*4*0*3

10.Speyside*2*0*1*1*3*5*-2*1

11.Trinity East*2*0*0*2*4*6*-2*0

12.QRC*2*0*0*2*2*4*-2*0

13.East Mucurapo*2*0*0*2*1*4*-3*0

14.St Augustine*1*0*0*1*0*5*-5*0

15.St Mary's College*2*0*0*2*1*9*-8*0

16.Miracle Ministries PHS*2*0*0*2*0*14*-14*0