MORE than five months after suffering a fracture of the left fibula during a T&T Premier Football League (TTPFL) tier two match for Queen’s Park Cricket Club (QPCC), national youth striker Michael Chaves is set to feature for Fatima College in the National Gas Company (NGC) Super Cup match against Presentation College (San Fernando) on September 6.
The NGC Super Cup match is the curtain-raiser for the 2024 Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) season and will see last season’s premier division winners going up against the reigning national intercol winners. Kickoff will be from 4 pm at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo.
Fatima copped their first national league title in 45 years last year, with Chaves later being named the SSFL Player of the Year for 2023. The 18-year-old was one of the standout performers for the T&T under-20 team during the Concacaf Under-20 Men’s Championships qualifiers in February, and he was rewarded with his first senior cap by former Soca Warriors head coach Angus Eve when the national team met Jamaica in a friendly on March 1.
On March 17, featuring for QPCC against MIC Matura United, Chaves fractured his leg after being on the receiving end of a rough tackle.
Speaking to Newsday last week, Fatima manager Stephen Williams said Chaves is working towards the season nicely, and he expects more big things from the youngster as he rebounds from the injury layoff.
“Chaves has been looking pretty sharp, honestly. I think he will definitely have another good year, barring injury,” said Williams, who also expects national youth players Seth Hadeed and Caden Trestrail to feature prominently for Fatima this season.
“(Chaves has) been feeling really confident and that’s the type of guy he is. Once he’s feeling confident, we’ll definitely be in a good place.”
Williams said Fatima are optimistic about defending their premier division crown, and they also want to make a statement beginning with the NGC Super Cup.
“(We’re) definitely confident...that is the mantra for our school. We have four trophies at stake and we definitely want to take a clean sweep this year,” he said.
Last year, Fatima were beaten 4-3 in the NGC Super Cup by 2022 premier division champs St Benedict’s College, who got a hat-trick from T&T under-20 player Derrel Garcia.
And this year, they will need to tame the “Pres Lions” squad which lifted last year’s national intercol when they edged St Anthony’s via a penalty shootout in the finale.
Presentation coach Shawn Cooper said his team has lost as many as five first-team players, including goalkeeper Kanye Lazarus, but he believes they have the quality to be a competitive force this season.
He anticipates an intriguing battle against his “good friend” coach Hutson Charles and the Fatima team.
“(Fatima) base their football on possession and expansive football and opening up the field, using the young talent they have,” Cooper told Newsday.
“They have a wealth of young talent so it will be a very challenging game for us. We will try to put our best foot forward and let the chips fall where they may.”
He said the preparation for this season has been different as the team has been peaking towards the NGC Super Cup match.
“As a coach, I would tell you the game has a life of its own,” he said.
“It’s an exhibition game, although it’s played for a trophy. The crowd will be expecting a very entertaining one. I think it will be entertaining, but we’ll play it as the game dictates.”
SOURCE: T&T Newsday
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