This country’s Women’s Under 17 Team will be hoping to make a winning start to their qualifying quest for the 2018 FIFA Under 17 Women’s World Cup in Uruguay when they take on US Virgin Island in their opening Caribbean qualifier at the Ato Boldon Stadium from 7:30pm on Wednesday.
The game will be the second match of a double header with Grenada meeting Curacao from 5pm. After three days of matches, only the top team will advance to the Caribbean Finals in Haiti.
T&T, under head coach Jamaal Shabazz have been in training for the better part of this year with the former T&T Senior Men’s team assistant coach having just taken over the team last month. He has had some solid sessions with the contingent and is quietly optimistic going into the first match.
“We have prepared well with a few solid sessions and I think the players are all eager and ready for their first qualifying match. They have the experience of playing in a CONCACAF Championship in the past at the Under 15 level but this now is a different environment with a different cause. This is actually World Cup qualifying so they are aware of the importance and the meaning of these matches,” Shabazz told TTFA Media.
“Looking at our opponents, we see that former national player Izler Browne is the coach of US Virgin Islands and I expect they will come here with some kind of preparation and will be no pushovers and we have seen progress in women’s football made both in Grenada and Curacao. Neither of these teams will be run arounds and they will come here intent on causing an upset on the host team. But at the same time we believe in our ability and I expect our players will take each game on its merit and will put out the effort that is required to get us past this first hurdle,” Shabazz added.
The team comprises a few US-based College players including midfielder Sarah De Gannes who is based in Alberta, USA, Kara Trotman, the niece of former national player, deceased Mickey Trotman, who plays for Seattle Reign in Seattle and Annika Daniel of FC Bellevue in Kenmore. Some of the home-based players include 12-year-old midfielder Kayla Baboolal of Biche FC in Biche, Aaliyah Prince of Success Laventille, defender Moines Mejias of Trinity Nationals and goalkeeper Chelsea Ramnauth of Fyzabad Secondary.
Apart from Haiti, which received a bye as hosts of the final round, the remaining 18 countries entered the first round, and were drawn into three groups of four teams and two groups of three teams. The winners of each group advance to the final round to join Haiti, where they are divided into two groups of three teams, with the top three teams qualifying for the final tournament as the CFU representatives.
Trinidad and Tobago, Puerto Rico, Saint Lucia, Guyana, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines were automatically seeded in Groups A–E respectively as hosts of each first round group, while the remaining 14 teams were seeded based on the results of the previous two editions of the qualifying competition. Three teams from the Caribbean advance to the CONCACAF Final round next year towards the 2018 FIFA Under 17 Women’s World Cup in Uruguay.
Tickets cost $20 (adults) and $10 (children) and will be available at the venue on each matchday.
T&T National Women U-17 Player Profiles.
Name:Chelsea Ramnauth
Position: Goalkeeper
DOB: 21 June, 2002
School: Fyzabad Secondary
Hometown: Fyzabad
Name: Makida Herbert
Position:Goalkeeper
DOB: Feb 17th, 2001
School: Mucurapo West
Hometown: Mucurapo
Name: Kya Edwards
Position: Defender
DOB: Feb 18th, 2002
Club: Cap Off
Hometown: Carapichaima
Name: Moines Mejias
DOB: Dec 4th, 2003
Position: Defender
Club: Trincity Nationals
Hometown: Trincity
Name: Shamika York
Position: Defender
DOB: July 14th 2001
School: Malabar Sec
Hometown: Arima
Name: Roshun Williams
Position: Defender
DOB: Feb 5th, 2003
Club: Waterloo Institute
Hometown: Waterloo
Name:Aaliyah Pascall
Position: Defender/Mid
DOB: Nov 6th, 2001
School: Pleasantville Sec.
Hometown: Pleasantville
Name: Tianna Daniel
Position: Defender
DOB: Nov 12th, 2001
School: Arima North Sec.
Hometown: Arima
Name: Natifah Hackshaw
Position: Midfielder
DOB: May 23rd, 2001
Club: Rangers FC
Hometown: Port of Spain
Name: Sarah De Gannes
Position: Midfield/FOR
DOB: Sept 22, 2002
Club: Internazionale
Hometown: Alberta
Name: Kara Trotman
Position: Defender/MID
DOB: July 30th, 2001
Club: Seattle Reign
Hometown: Seattle
Name: Annika Daniel
Position: Midfielder
DOB: June 1st, 2003
Club: FC Bellevue
Hometown: Kenmore WA
Name: Aaliyah Lynch
Position: Midfielder
DOB: Dec 13th, 2001
School: St Augustine Sec
Hometown: St Augustine
Name: Maria-Frances Serrant
Position: Midfielder
DOB: Feb 17th, 2001
Club: Diego Martin Centre
Hometown: Diego Martin
Name: Latifah Pascall
Position: Defender/MID
DOB: July 2nd, 2003
School: Pleasantville Sec.
Hometown: Pleasantville
Name: Chrissy Mitchell
Position : Defender/MID
DOB: Jan 17th, 2002
School: Mayaro Secondary
Hometown: Mayaro
Name: Aaliyah Prince
Position: Midfield/FOR
DOB: Feb 5th, 2001
School: Success Laventille
Hometown: Port of Spain
Name: Afiyah Cornwall
Position: Forward
DOB: April 10th, 2002
Club: Waterloo Institute
Hometown: Waterloo
Name: Jessica Harragin
Position: Midfielder
DOB: Feb 17th, 2004
School: Holy Name Convent
Hometown: Port of Spain
Name: Kayla Baboolal
Position: Midfielder
DOB: Sept 15th, 2004
Club: Biche FC
Hometown: Biche