The Under-17 Soca Princesses enter in a live-in camp tomorrow at Cascadia Hotel, St Ann’s prior to their departure for Jamaica on Sunday to compete at the Caribbean Football Union Under-17 Women’s Championship.
The Stephan De Four-coached Soca Princesses squad which includes three overseas based players in Donnika Murray (Canada), Diarra Simmons (Canada) and Liana Hinds (USA) will come up against Guyana, Jamaica and Bahamas in a round-robin series from November 29 to December 3.
At the end of the series, the top three teams will advance to the Concacaf Championship where hosts Guatemala, Canada, Mexico and USA await. The other Central American qualifier will come from El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama.
The Under-17 Concacaf tournament will be played exclusively at Guatemala City’s Estadio Cementos Progreso, site of the most recent Concacaf Under-20 Men’s and Women's tournaments and the venue for Comunicaciones’ home Champions League games.
The finalists and third-place match winner will qualify for the 2012 FIFA Under-17 Women's World Cup in Azerbaijan. The Soca Princesses advanced to the CFU final round after lopsided victories at home and away over Dominica (13-0 and 5-0) and St Kitts/Nevis (11-0 and 17-0) in Group B.
Bahamas won Group A with wins over Bermuda (2-0) and Antigua & Barbuda (10-0); Guyana blanked Anguilla 2-0 and drew with Netherland Antilles 1-1 to top Group C while Jamaica whipped Dominican Republic (3-0) and Aruba (9-0) in Group D.
Yesterday, the local women trained at the At Boldon Stadium, Couva and following today’s off day they will return tomorrow with a 5pm session at the University of West Indies Ground, St Augustine.
De Four who was expected to name his final team after yesterday’s session will also hold two sessions at Saturday, the first from 6.30 am at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo and the other, from 3pm at UWI, St Augustine while the team also trains on Sunday, again from 6.30 am before leaving at mid-day for Jamaica.
In Kingston, the Soca Princesses who will be led by Anique Walker, a member of the previous Under-17 World Cup team on home soil, will tackle Guyana (Tuesday November 29), Bahamas (December 1) and then Jamaica, two days later.
Other members of the current traing squad with World Cup experience include, Debesette sisters, Khadidra and Khadisha, Hinds, Simmons and Victoria Swift.
More info
CFU Under-17 Women’s Second Round
Venue: Kingston
November 29:
Guyana vs T&T, 3pm; Jamaica vs Bahamas
December 1:
T&T vs Bahamas, 3pm; Jamaica vs Guyana, 6pm
December 3:
Bahamas vs Guyana, 3pm; Jamaica vs T&T, 6pm
Prince in U-17 Soca Princesses squad.
T&T Guardian Reports.
Dennecia Prince, a member of the Under-15 national women’s team has been included in an 18-member Under-17 Soca Princesses squad which leaves for the Caribbean Football Union Under-17 Women’s Championship in Jamaica on Sunday.
The four-nation tournament kicks off on Tuesday and also involves Jamaica, Bahamas and Guyana. A student of Fyzabad Secondary, Prince has been part of the U-15 team coached by Marlon Charles in preparation for the qualification tournament to the 2014 Women’s World Cup in Canada.
She was named to the team by coach Stephan De Four because of the absence of midfielders in Victoria Swift, Shenice Garcia, Naomie Guerra and Marie Guissepi who have combined for eight goals in qualification so far.
The team which goes into a live-in camp today was named after an intense training session at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva on Wednesday.
Under-17 World Cup veteran Anique Walker leads the team which includes four other players with World Cup experience in overseas-duo, striker Diarra Simmons of Pickering Power, Canada, USA-based midfielder Liana Hinds (Soccerplus, Connecticut) and La Brea-born Debesette twin-sisters, midfielder Khadidra and vice-captain Khadisha Debesette, a defender.
De Four described the team as a very cohesive unit despite the omission of the experienced Swift, Garcia, Guerra and Guissepi. Garcia and Guerra are still recovering from injuries while Swift has some personal matters and Guissepi, school commitments.
Canadian-based striker Donnika Murray, who has been in T&T training with the team, also misses as her paperwork has not been finalised. De Four noted he was elated to once again have the services of Simmons and Hinds who he expected to combine well with Walker, Khadidra Debesette and Zoe Swift to lead the potent attack which has netted 46 times in four matches.
Walker has so far netted ten times in four matches while Khadidra has 15 and Zoe Swift, six. Following yesterday’s day off, the Soca Princesses return to training today at the University of West Indies Ground, St Augustine, from 5 pm.
Tomorrow, the team will have two sessions, the first from 6.30 am at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo and the other, from 3 pm at UWI, St Augustine while the team also trains on Sunday, again from 6.30 am before leaving at mid-day for Jamaica.
Squad
Goalkeeper: Sheniece David, Shantel Christian
Defenders: Marlique Asson, Adeka Spence, Abigail Jacob, Corinna Sequea, Tonietta Phillip, Olivia Jaggernauth, Khadisha Debesette (vice-captain).
Midfielders: Khadidra Debesette, Jonelle Warrick, Darian Diaz, Shanisa Camejo, Denesha Prince, Liana Hinds.
Forwards: Anique Walker (captain), Diarra Simmons, Zoe Swift.
Technical staff:
Lyndell Hoyte-Williams (manager), Stephan De Four (coach), Peter Pierre (assistant coach), Terry Johnson (equipment manager), Judy Harewood (physiotherapist), Clint Mc Kenzie (trainer), Steve Frederick (goalkeeper coach).
Fixtures: Venue: Kingston
November 29: Guyana vs T&T, 3pm; Jamaica vs Bahamas
December 1: T&T vs Bahamas, 3pm; Jamaica vs Guyana, 6pm
December 3: Bahamas vs Guyana, 3pm; Jamaica vs T&T, 6pm