Women Warriors confident of strong Concacaf W Qualifiers start

WOMEN Warriors head coach Damian Briggs believes his 23-member squad has the depth and skill to snare three points from their opening Concacaf Women Qualifiers fixture versus Barbados at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown on December 1.

The full TT contingent touches down in Barbados on November 29 and will conduct light training sessions ahead of their first real competitive test under Briggs’ guidance.

The squad, led by veteran striker Kennya “Yaya” Cordner, features a mix of seasoned contenders from both local and abroad, alongside several new faces seeking their first international cap.

Briggs, who was appointed coach two months ago, recently concluded an intense pre-tournament camp with his troops.

“Everyone’s buzzing, everyone’s got that belief that we can actually go there and come away with something, come away with three points, or minimum one. We believe in what we’ve got, and we know if we play to our full potential that we’re going to come away with a positive result,” he said at the TT Football Association technical centre in Couva on November 28.

Cordner (Cekmekoy BilgiDoga), midfielders Asha James (Defence Force) and Marie-Frances Serrant (Neom FC Saudi Arabia), defender Victoria Swift (Club Sando), and striker Aaliyah Prince (Defence Force) are among the more experienced players within the squad.

Some of the new, foreign-based faces set to make their national team debut are goalkeeper Akyla Walcott (Wheeling University), defender Cicely Spencer Wickham (Niagara University), midfielder Lorall Romain (Santa Fe Panama) and forward Gabrielle Williams (Sutton) among others.

Top locally-based players expected to feature include Defence Force forwards Alexcia Ali and Nikita Gosine, midfielders Orielle Martin (Club Sando), Sheneil Findley (UTT Patriots) and Liana Hinds (unattached).

Talents such as forward Ariana Borneo (Ashland University), goalkeeper Simone Eligon (Chatham Town FC England), defender Kedie Johnson As Saint Etienne-France) and Christa Waterman (Patuxent Football Athletics) are also among the 23.

On his team’s blend of foreign and homegrown talent, he said, “They’re exciting. There’s an honesty they bring in terms of how they work, along with the local ones, that’s taken on board the way we want to play.”

He credited TTFA’s director of women’s football Jinelle James, his recruitment staff and several overseas contributors for helping identify and assess prospects.

“In order to become competitive and compete with some of the best teams, we need to be hand-in-hand with recruitment,” he said

Despite losing his first international friendly 4-1 to the Jamaican women’s team on October 27, after only one month in charge, Briggs said the team has positively progressed over the past month, and are raring to take their first real competitive test.

Briggs said the Jamaica loss served as a valuable assessment rather than a discouraging result. That outing provided clarity on both the team’s strengths and areas needing adjustment.

“The game against Jamaica gave us a better understanding of where we were, some of the changes and adaptations that needed to be made,” he added. “We got our heads down, we got our plans, the staff got together and created different plans, and I think we’re ready to go.”

Briggs said it was essential that the full 23-member squad travel together for the Barbados fixture, highlighting the importance of team chemistry as a collective. He also praised his staff for the work being done behind the scenes.

“Without the staff that I’ve got, the way we’re progressing now, we wouldn’t be able to progress, and ensure that the progression of the team and the players is first at hand.”

After the Barbados opener, TT women face Honduras away on March 4 and host El Salvador on April 17. Only the group winner will advance to the Concacaf W Championship, the next step toward qualifying for both the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the 2028 Olympic Games.

TT Women’s Senior Team – 23-Member Squad vs Barbados

Goalkeepers

Akayla Walcott – Wheeling University

Simone Eligon – Chatham Town FC (England)

Tenesha Palmer – Unattached

Defenders

Chrissy Mitchell – Defence Force

Cicely Spencer Wickham – Niagara University

Kaitlyn Darwent – St. Joseph Convent

Kedie Johnson – AS Saint Étienne (France)

Shaunalee Govia – Defence Force

Christa Waterman – Patuxent Football Athletics

Victoria Swift – Club Sando

Kanika Rodriquez – UTT Patriots

Midfielders

Maria-Frances Serrant – Neom FC (Saudi Arabia)

Liana Hinds – Unattached

Sheneil Findley – UTT Patriots

Orielle Martin – Club Sando

Lorall Romain – Santa Fe (Panama)

Asha James – Defence Force

Forwards

Aaliyah Prince – Defence Force

Alexcia Ali – Defence Force

Ariana Borneo – Ashland University

Kennya Cordner – Cekmekoy BilgiDoga

Nikita Gosine – Defence Force

Gabrielle Williams – Sutton