Reigning SSFL champs Fatima look to stop high-flying ‘Saints’

A few schools will put their early unbeaten runs to the test when match day five of the 2025 Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) premier division is contested with six intriguing matches across the country on September 27.

All six matches will kick off at 3.30 pm with the exception of St Benedict’s College clash with Scarborough Secondary which will be played from 3 pm at Mahaica Oval in Point Fortin. Two of the matches scheduled for September 27 have been postponed, with Signal Hill Secondary’s meeting with St Augustine Secondary and Naparima College’s clash away trip to San Juan North Secondary now being pushed back to later dates. “Naps” manager Percy Samlalsingh told Newsday that his school’s clash with San Juan will now be played on October 25.

SSFL president Merere Gonzales confirmed the postponement of the two matches, but couldn’t give a reason for the decisions up to press time.

Naparima have had a great start to the season and currently top the 16-team table with a perfect 12 points from four matches. Their inactivity for this match day will give other schools in the top five the chance to close in or even take over the league’s leadership. Last year’s national intercol winners St Benedict’s (three points) have not had the best of starts to the league season and have lost their last two matches to reigning league champions Fatima College and rivals Presentation College (San Fernando) respectively.

On Serpentine Road in St Clair, the reigning champs Fatima (nine points) will meet a St Mary’s College (ten points) team which has arguably been the surprise of the season thus far by racking up three wins and a draw in their first four matches. Cornell Glen’s St Mary’s team are currently second and they would love to spring a surprise against a much-changed Fatima team which is in fourth spot and going after a fourth straight league victory after lifting the Super Cup earlier this month.

A short distance away at Queen’s Royal College ground, the sixth-placed QRC (seven points) will face Arima North Secondary (five points) who are currently seventh in the standings. In their last encounter, QRC defeated north powerhouse team St Anthony’s College 3-1, with Arima North getting a similar 3-1 victory over Signal Hill.

At the Manny Ramjohn Stadium in Marabella, Presentation and the league’s top scorer Isaiah Jacob will once again try to leave their mark when they host the 13th-placed Malick Secondary. “Pres” are currently in third spot on nine points and are hunting a fourth straight victory.

Meanwhile, in Moka, it will be an all-Trinity affair when the 11th-placed Trinity College Moka (three points) meet their Trinity College East counterparts who are currently rooted to the foot of the table after four straight losses. In another encounter, the struggling Carapichaima East Secondary, who have also been dealt four straight losses, will take on St Anthony’s who are only playing their second game this season because of a pair of postponed fixtures.