Trinidad and Tobago teams gear up for Jewels of the Caribbean

BETWEEN December 15 to 21, Trinidad and Tobago's young and aspiring female footballers will get the chance to show their mettle when the DecembHER Football – Jewels of the Caribbean tournament is held.

This year's Jewels of the Caribbean competition will feature both under-17 and under-20 categories, with the hosts TT set to field two teams in each category alongside Jamaica and US outfit Indy Premier. Matches will be played at venues such as the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo, the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva and the Sangre Grande recreation ground, with both finals scheduled to be played at the Hasely Crawford venue on December 21.

TT's under-17 teams will kick off their category with a December 15 double-header against Indy Premier and Jamaica from 5 pm and 7 pm, respectively, at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, with the home team's under-20 units opening their category with a double-header versus the aforementioned opponents at the Ato Boldon Stadium on December 16. TT's under-17 teams will face off in their final group day on December 19, while the country's under-20 teams will meet on the second match day in their category on December 18. After round-robin play, the top two teams in each category will meet in the final.

A December 5 TTFA release said, "the tournament supports the continued growth of women's football and provides valuable match experience for emerging talent in the region."

TT Football Association (TTFA) president Kieron Edwards said, "Hosting the DecembHER Football – Jewels of the Caribbean tournament reflects our commitment to raising the standard of women's football and giving our young ladies meaningful international competition.

"This is an exciting period for the TTFA and we're determined to ensure that our programmes continue to grow and inspire all of TT," he said.

In the 2023 Jewels of the Caribbean under-17 tourney, TT copped the title with a 2-0 win over St Vincent and the Grenadines thanks to a double from attacking midfielder Orielle Martin. Meanwhile, in 2024, Martin was at it again when she scored six goals in the four-team under-20 tournament to walk away with the golden boot award. Despite a stunning goal from Martin in last year's finale, TT lost 2-1 to Jamaica.

TT's teams for this year's edition of the Jewels of the Caribbean tourney are expected to be named before the end of the week. This year's tournament is expected to provide sound practice and fine-tuning for TT before they contest the 2026 Concacaf Women's Under-17 Qualifiers from January 24-February 2. TT are in group F for the qualifiers alongside Barbados, Curacao, El Salvador and Guadeloupe, with Curacao serving as group hosts. The six group winners from the qualifiers and the two best second-placed teams will advance to the final round, where they will join the region's four top-ranked teams in Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the US.