T&T Under-17 Soca Princesses led by striker Anique Walker will kick off their Caribbean Football Union U-17 Women’s Championship against Guyana from 3pm (4pm Jamaica Time) at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex, Jamaica today.
The match will be the first of a double-header and will be followed by host Jamaica against Bahamas from 6 pm (7 pm Jamaica Time). The 18-member squad coached by Stephan De Four left here on Sunday and in addition to Walker, includes four other veterans of the national U-17 Women’s squad which hosted the World Cup on home soil last year.
They are overseas-duo, striker Diarra Simmons of Pickering Power, Canada and USA-based midfielder Liana Hinds (Soccerplus, Connecticut) as well as La Brea-born Debesette twin-sisters, midfielder Khadidra and vice-captain Khadisha Debesette, a defender.
However, the team has been hit by the withdrawals of midfielders Victoria Swift, Shenice Garcia, Naomie Guerra and Marie Giuseppi. Garcia and Guerra are still recovering from injuries while Swift has some personal matters and Giuseppi, school commitments.
The Soca Princesses advanced to the CFU final round after lop-sided victories at home and away over Dominica (13-0 and 5-0) and St Kitts/Nevis (11-0 and 17-0) in Group B while Guyana, which will be hoping to follow its senior men’s team and upstaged the T&T team blanked Anguilla 2-0 and drew with Netherland Antilles 1-1 to top Group C.
Bahamas won Group A with wins over Bermuda (2-0) and Antigua & Barbuda (10-0); while Jamaica whipped Dominican Republic (3-0) and Aruba (9-0) in Group D.
Going into the tournament, De Four said he was looking forward to seeing Simmons and Hinds play together 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. Going into the tournament, Jamaican women’s football technical director, Vin Blaine, expected his team to get by Bahamas and Guyana with relative ease, but anticipated some measure of resistance from T&T .
“Bahamas is traditionally not a strong team, but we cannot tell because we do not know anything of them... Guyana continue to improve steadily and T&T have been working from last year... they have travelled and played a number of games and they are very organised,” said the man, who overseas Jamaica’s women’s football programme.
At the end of the series the top three teams will advance to the Concacaf Championship where hosts Guatemala, Canada, Mexico and USA awaits.
The other Central American qualifier will come Costa Rica, and Panama, which won their home-and-away series against El Salvador and Nicaragua, 8-1 and 2-0 respectively on Sunday. The Under-17 Concacaf finalists and third-place match winner will qualify for the 2012 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Azerbaijan.
T&T Under-17 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
Today (November 29):
Guyana vs T&T, 3pm; Jamaica vs Bahamas, 6pm
Thursday (December 1):
T&T vs Bahamas, 3pm; Jamaica vs Guyana, 6pm
Saturday (December 3):
Bahamas vs Guyana, 3pm; Jamaica vs T&T, 6pm