Naps, Fatima aim to stay perfect in SSFL

Naparima College, San Juan North Secondary and 2022 national intercol champions Fatima College will aim to maintain their perfect records to start the 2023 Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) premier division season when the fourth round of matches kicks off on Saturday.

All three schools have nine points after three matches, with the four-time premier division champions Naparima heading the table with their +20 goal differential. Fatima are second with a goal differential of +13 and San Juan are third with their +8 goal differential.

Naparima have scored a whopping 22 goals in the young season, and their lanky attacking midfielder Kanye Francis leads all premier division scores with six goals. Francis will again be expected to shoulder the burden as Naparima go after a fourth straight win when they tackle East Mucurapo Secondary in Moka, Maraval.

Fatima have been exemplary at the back thus far, as they are the only team yet to concede a goal in the 16-team division. The north zone powerhouse will fancy their chances to get a fourth straight shutout win when they host the bottom-placed team Pleasantville Secondary at the former school’s ground in Mucurapo. Pleasantville have lost their three matches and have not scored a goal.

The contest between the third-placed San Juan and the fifth-placed Queen’s Royal College (six points) is an intriguing one, as the hosts QRC have rattled off two straight wins after an opening day loss to Malick Secondary. Former QRC student Nathan Quashie is now representing San Juan in the SSFL, and he has started the season in fine fashion with four goals from just three matches. Quashie has netted in each game this season and could be a handful for his former teammates as he returns to familiar territory at QRC Grounds in St Clair.

In Westmoorings, a battle of the “Saints” will be the order of the day when St Anthony’s College host St Mary’s College at the former school’s grounds. The two teams are coming off of contrasting results during the week. St Anthony’s managed their first victory of the season as they defeated Tobago’s Speyside Secondary by a 2-1 margin. St Mary’s were spanked 8-1 by Arima North Secondary in a battle between two newly promoted teams at Serpentine Road in St Clair.

Fresh off of their resounding win over St Mary’s, Arima North will journey to the Manny Ramjohn Stadium in Marabella where they will take on reigning premier division champions St Benedict’s. The 2022 champs had a stuttering start to the league season with back-to-back losses and are currently languishing in ninth. They will hope to correct their slide versus the “Dial Dynamos” of Arima.

Central zone intercol champs Chaguanas North Secondary will look to bounce back from the heavy 10-0 loss they suffered to Malick when they host south zone giants Presentation College (San Fernando) at their Edinburgh 500 venue in Chaguanas.

Elsewhere, in the televised match, the fourth-placed Malick (six points) will try to follow up their emphatic win over Chaguanas North when they host Speyside at Serpentine Road. This will be the only fixture with a 3.30 pm kickoff. All other games will start at 4 pm.

The fixture between Bishop’s High School (Tobago) and Trinity College East has been rescheduled to October 31.