Trinidad and Tobago U-20s in high spirits ahead of Concacaf qualifier

Trinidad and Tobago's under-20 women’s football team will be aiming to make a statement when they face Bermuda in their opening match of the Concacaf Under-20 qualifiers at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva from 7 pm on February 21.

The match will be the second game of the group group E double-header, with Canada playing Dominica in the first match from 4pm.

Coach Dernelle Mascall’s team will have a heavy influence of Ayana Russell’s under-17 women’s team, with as many as ten players from last month’s Concacaf Under-17 qualifiers set to feature in the 21-member under-20 squad.

Maple Leaf International School central defender Calypso Ayoung, 17, spoke highly of the under-17 group as she trained alongside them in the buildup to their qualifiers.

Ayoung, who has been a member of the TT Football Association’s High Performance programme since 2022, said the under-20s are ready for the challenge ahead.

The first round of Concacaf Under-20 qualifiers features six groups, with the six group winners advancing to the 2025 Concacaf Under-20 Women’s Championships where they will join the pre-seeded pair of Mexico and the US. From there, the top four Concacaf teams will advance to the 2026 Fifa Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland.

“We’re all going in with really high spirits. We’ve all been bonding really well as a team. We know how hard it will be to achieve,” Ayoung told the media at a training session on February 18.

“We know how hard it’s going to be, but we’re also very determined. I think that’s the best policy we have – how determined we are and how close we are as a team.”

A career which started at eight when an eager Ayoung was placed in Queen’s Park Cricket Club’s football team by her mother, has now blossomed into a great opportunity for the defender.

“I think I’ve had such a great journey within this (High Performance) programme because when I first came I definitely wasn’t at the level I’m at today,” she said.

“I think the way I’ve grown has been a testament to the programme and how important it is, and also to myself, because I never dreamed of being on this team right now.

“The way I’ve developed and grown, this is my first time competing in a Concacaf tournament and it’s honestly a dream come true. I could have never dreamt of this happening.”

Playing in what she considers arguably the most important position on the field, Ayoung believes it’s her duty to lead by example.

“I think a centre back has to be a leader. We have to be the best communicators on the field. We have to control the game.

“We can see the entire field. We have to control how that ball moves, the speed of play...yes, we’re not scoring goals but we’re setting them up and we’re preventing them from being scored.”

Ayoung is also delighted with the rise of women’s sport locally, and reckons the future for girls and women in sport can only get brighter.

With games to follow against Dominica and Canada on February 23 and 25 respectively, Ayoung would love to see the support extended to she and her teammates as they begin their journey to Poland.

“We were very happy with the crowd we saw for the under-17s for their last game (on January 31) and we hope the same crowd comes out and supports us on Friday, Sunday and Tuesday.”