Trinidad and Tobago’s coach Jamaal Shabazz has selected a 20- member squad, including nine players preparing for next year’s FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup, which will take place in Trinidad and Tobago.
Among those players are goalkeeper Jones, defenders Camille Borneo and Rehana Omardeen, midfielders Victoria Swift and Camille Charles, strikers Taylor and Kadisha Castillo as well as identical twins Khadisha (defender) and Khadidra Debesette (midfielder).
Shabazz insisted that the Under-17 players were not on the team strictly to gain experience, but they each earned their right to be selected on the Under-20 squad. “They’ve earned their places,” said Shabazz. “The work they’ve done with (Under-17 coach) Even Pellerud has brought them up, right on par, with the girls we had at (Under-20s).
“And now they’re challenging for places in the starting eleven,” he continued. “None of them have been brought in to the team solely for the purpose of exposure. All of them are on the squad based on merit. “This is a good sign for the overall programme and the Under-17 programme in particular.”
The Under-20 team had a tour to Jamaica in August and Shabazz pointed out that, from that squad, “Some of them just didn’t make (this) team, two players are off the team due to disciplinary action, Sharice Arthur and Stacy Paul, but the others just didn’t make the team.
"Commenting on the growth of the Under-17 players, Shabazz said, “we’re very happy that youngsters could make such a challenge. “We want to applaud the work that was put in by Mr Pellerud,” he ended. “Now we have a wider pool and we’re very excited about the future.”