Mixed day for T&T U-15s as Junior Warriors rebound to defeat Liberia

Trinidad and Tobago’s Under-15 footballers split their results on Thursday (October 29) in the Tier C quarterfinal play-offs at the FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival at the Hovsan Competition Complex in Baku, Azerbaijan.

​A day after losses to France and India, which followed a 3-2 record in the group stage, T&T’s young players first succumbed to a 4-1 defeat against Namibia in their Tier C quarterfinal match for classification spots on Pitch 9A. Captain Aaden Jones was the lone goal scorer for T&T. Coach Randolph Boyce admitted well before the encounter that his squad had been weakened by injuries to several players.

This injury toll appeared to impact the team from the start of the Tier C play-offs, which began with a 4-2 loss to France. The Namibians, like T&T, finished third in Group AC with nine points from five matches (three wins and two losses). That group was topped by Poland, which delivered a string of flawless displays to finish with 15 points, followed by Georgia in second with 12 points. Bermuda placed fourth, the British Virgin Islands fifth, and São Tomé and Príncipe finished at the bottom of the standings without a single point.

​Hours later, the T&T team rebounded with a 2-1 victory over Liberia in their 93rd-96th classification semifinal, courtesy of goals from Jones and Jaden Marcelle. The Liberians had contested a six-nation Group F alongside eventual winner Morocco (15 points), second-place Costa Rica (12 points), the Philippines (fourth with 6 points), Belize (4 points), and Curaçao (last without a point). The Liberians clinched a third-place finish with seven points from two wins, two losses, and a draw in five matches.

​It was a welcome result for the “Junior Warriors,” who are among some 200 teams participating in the massive development programme run by football’s world governing body. Playing in the inaugural event, Boyce’s charges spent just about two months preparing before delivering a series of performances that yielded an overall 4-5 win-loss record.

Boyce told the media after an earlier 4-0 victory over Macau that he was pleased with his squad, but emphasized that much more work is needed for the players to continue improving. He remains optimistic about their development through the festival format, which features shorter match durations, smaller fields, and kick-ins instead of throw-ins when the ball goes out of play.

​T&T will play their final match of the tournament against Gibraltar at 3.30 am (T&T time) for a chance to claim 93rd place overall.