The BGTT First Citizens Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Girls and Boys Big Five finals will take place with in a double-header, this afternoon at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva from 3 pm.
The opening fixture will see an exciting girls match-up as East Zone champions El Dorado East Secondary takes on South Zone and Intercol defending champions Debe Secondary.
In the second fixture, unbeaten North Zone winners, St Anthony’s College, will challenge a similarly dominant Carapichaima East Secondary from 5 pm.
The El Dorado girls made it to the final, following a famous 2-1 victory over a crafty St Francois team at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Wrightson Road on Tuesday.
National attacker Patrice Campbell scored a double in the fixture, while Della Joseph, St Francois’ top scorer got the consolation goal for the losing team.
The will meet a Debe team, which have won the South Zone league, Nationals and Intercol, last season. Debe were 3-0 winners over Roxborough at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella, on Monday.
Kayla Taylor and captain Patrice Vincent found a goal each in the encounter, while Rae-Ann Montano also chipped in with a rare item.
Leading up to today’s girls match-up, El Dorado coach of ten years, Chet Hewitt said that his team is aware of the Debe attacking threat, but are prepared going into the match.
“I’m aware that they’re a strong team, and the team is somewhat wary of the experience that players such as Kayla Taylor and Vincent (Patrice) possesses.”
Hewitt said that he is likely to start their attacking starlet Campbell alone up front, but changes may be made to surprise the opponents.
Campbell, before second a double on Tuesday, was on target five times in the Intercol North/East Semi-Finals, against Arima North, over the weekend.
Carapichaima, which won the Central Zone three times consecutively, will have a full team fit for their encounter against St Anthony’s.
The team’s coach and former national player, Leon Carpette, said that as long as his team plays according to plan, they can emerge with a victory. Carpette insisted that communication is vital for his team.
“Once they can listen from us at the side-lines and they talk amongst themselves, as well as keeping observant on the pitch, we can have an edge.”
Carpette continued saying, “But it comes down to the will and desire to win.” The 1970’s national team veteran said that having the heart to win, is what traditionally got footballers to the top of the game.
Carapichaima will face a St Anthony’s team, which are yet to lose or even drop points in any of their matches this season. The “Tigers” have found 13 different goalscorers from every position of the pitch, minus the goalkeeper this season.
St Anthony’s coach, Nigel Grosvenor is confident that his team will come away with the win. He said that his intentions are to have his team finish the season undefeated, winning both the Big Four and the Intercol titles.
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