Trinidad and Tobago U17s lose to Honduras in final World Cup qualifier

Trinidad and Tobago's under-17 women's football team had a sour end to their 2025 Fifa Under-17 Women's World Cup qualifying campaign when they suffered a 2-1 loss to Honduras in their final match at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva on April 5.

It was TT's third straight loss in the final round of qualifying which saw them finishing at the bottom of group C with zero points and a goal differential of -8.

Playing against a Honduras team which defeated them 1-0 in the first round of qualifying in January, coach Ayana Russell's TT team fell behind after just three minutes when Alexandra Merriam converted a penalty.

Playing for pride, the host nation got their first goal of the final round when attacker Diem Sealy scored a scrappy goal from point-blank range in first-half stoppage-time after the visitors failed to clear the ball.

TT star player Orielle Martin danced her way into the box and saw her cross ricochet off a defender and onto the post. And when Honduras' Ilsy Sevilla took a heavy touch in the six-yard box, Sealy pounced and banged a right-footed shot past the goalkeeper.

In a game where Honduras rattled off 13 shots to TT's six, the teams appeared to be heading for a share of the spoils as second-half stoppage-time approached.

However, in the first minute of stoppage time, Honduras grabbed a winner when TT goalkeeper Zaira Aimey misjudged a looping long-range effort from Allanys Santos, after referee Dilia Bradley resumed play with a drop ball on the right sideline. Santos sent a speculative shot into TT's six-yard box, with a back-pedalling Aimey forced to tip onto the bar before the ball cruelly trickled over the line, despite the best efforts of the goalie and retreating defender Mikaela Yearwood.

Santos' strike gave Honduras their first win of the final round and saw them finishing the group on four points.

In the earlier contest, US booked their spot in the World Cup when they hammered El Salvador 7-0 to finish the group on a perfect nine points. El Salvador ended the final round with four points and will miss out on qualifying for the World Cup as the best second-placed team.

On April 5, Mexico secured their World Cup spot when they hammered Haiti 12-0 in Toluca to end as group A winners.