Despite a brace from Jaylon Carrington of St Benedict’s College against France and another against India in two Tier C matches of the FIFA Under-15 World Cup and Festival in Baku, Azerbaijan, Wednesday (October 28), the Trinidad and Tobago Under-15 boys’ football team succumbed to consecutive defeats.
A third-place finish in Group ‘S’ of the play-offs earned the junior Warriors a spot in Tier C against the might of France early yesterday morning, but fortune did not follow them at the Hovsan Competition Complex. Carrington found the net in the 19th and 38th minutes, but his efforts were overshadowed by four French goals that secured a 4-2 triumph for France.
Like T&T, the French finished third in Group ‘A’ behind Estonia and South Africa, concluding their five-match group stage with three wins, one draw, and one loss for a total of 10 points.
National coach Randolph Boyce applauded the initiative of the inaugural World Cup and Festival, which serves as a development programme for many of the world’s junior players. He assured the media that T&T and other Caribbean nations stand to benefit handsomely from the tournament, which features smaller fields, shorter playing times, and other innovations designed enhance the development of young budding players.
Following the team’s six previous matches, which included losses to Iraq (2-1), Egypt (4-1), and France (4-2), along with victories over St Kitts & Nevis (3-1), the Cayman Islands (7-0), and Macau (4-0), Boyce’s charges took the field a second time yesterday to face India in another Tier C encounter.
Despite efforts from Carrington and Presentation College (San Fernando) player Djoshua Cyrus, the T&T team fell 3-2 to India for their fourth defeat of the tournament. The Indians entered Tier C on similar footing, having placed third in Group K. In that group, Cameroon claimed top spot with 12 points from four wins and a loss, identical to Senegal, who finished second on goal difference.
The T&T team will take the field again at 4.45 am this morning in a clash with Namibia in a quarterfinal contest in Tier C.
The Namibians were third in Group AC, which was topped by Poland on 15 points and Georgia with 12 in the runner-up spot. Namibia claimed third spot after recording three wins and three losses across their six matches.
