Fatima College forward Michael Chaves and Scarborough Secondary forward J’Eleisha Alexander scooped up the prestigious Most Valuable Player awards yesterday, as the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) toasted its top talent for the 2023 season at the Couva Point Lisas Chamber of Commerce.
Chaves, a Trinidad and Tobago Men’s National Under-20 player, helped Fatima College to their first Premier Division trophy last October, while Alexander, a Women’s National Under-20 player, shone in Scarborough’s capture of the National Big Five title.

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Chaves got the nod over former Fatima College teammate Christian Bailey, San Juan North Secondary attacker Lindell Sween, Presentation College (San Fernando) goalkeeper Kanye Lazarus, and Malick Secondary forward Oba Samuel, who comprised the SSFL’s top five male players.
Samuel, incidentally, led the SSFL scoring charts with 17 Premier Division goals.
In the female category, Alexander had two teammates for company among the top five players, as attacker Talia Martin and Dextra Harris were also singled out by the SSFL.
Five Rivers Secondary midfielder Luann Craig and Pleasantville Secondary forward Nikita Gosine completed the shortlist.

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It was Alexander’s second successive SSFL MVP gong.
Naturally, there were some debatable points on the day.
Bailey and Malick Secondary students J’lon Matthews, both attacking midfielders for their schools, were somehow listed among the SSFL’s top five defenders in 2023.
It denied two spots to bonafide defenders, and San Juan North’s Joshua Lewis, Arima North Secondary’s Ability Hazel, Fatima College’s Jaden Williams, St Anthony’s College’s Russel Francois, Trinity College East’s Nicholas Whiteman and the Presentation duo of Cody Cooper and Duhrell Young would all feel unlucky to have missed out.

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Naparima College anchor Jaron Pascall, Fatima’s Aidan De Gannes, and Arima North’s Theron O’Brien might feel similarly aggrieved to miss out on selection among the Premier Division’s top midfielders.
And Pleasantville Secondary’s Kelon Williams, Presentation’s Vaughn Clement and St Anthony’s College’s Theo Crovador could make a case for inclusion among the league’s top forwards too.
The Boys SSFL All Star Team comprised:

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Goalkeepers: Tristan Edwards (Fatima College), Kanye Lazarus (Presentation College, San Fernando), Thane Devenish (St Benedict’s College),
Defenders: Akil Henry (Arima North Secondary), Lyshaun Morris (St Benedict’s College), Josiah Cooper (Naparima College), Christian Bailey (Fatima College), J’lon Matthews (Malick Secondary),
Midfielders: Jeremiah Niles, Josiah Ochoa (both St Benedict’s College), Nathan Quashie (San Juan North Secondary), Aalon Wilson-Wright (St Anthony’s College), Tau Lamsee (Queen’s Royal College),

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Forwards: Lindell Sween (San Juan North Secondary), Kyle Phillip (St Mary’s College), Oba Samuel (Malick Secondary), Malachi Webb (St Benedict’s College), Michael Chaves (Fatima College).
Top Five Players: Michael Chaves, Christian Bailey (both Fatima College), Lindell Sween (San Juan North Secondary), Kanye Lazarus (Presentation College, San Fernando), Oba Samuel (Malick Secondary).
Player of the Year: Michael Chaves (Fatima College)

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The Girls SSFL All-Star Team consisted of:
Goalkeepers: Janike Ramoutar (Pleasantville Secondary), Kimberlynn Rampersad (Miracle Ministries Pentecostal High School), Shivelle Williams (Scarborough Secondary),
Defenders: Mikaela Yearwood (St Joseph’s Convent, POS), Mikalah Guerero (Pleasantville Secondary), Kiana Sandy (Five Rivers Secondary), Naomi Scott (Signal Hill Secondary), Dextra Harris (Scarborough Secondary),

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Midfielders: Orielle Martin (Bishop Anstey East), Jewel Benjamin (Miracle Ministries PHS), Luann Craig (Five Rivers Secondary), Natalia Gosine (Pleasantville Secondary), Makaylah Robley (Scarborough Secondary), Kellecia Taylor (Signal Hill Secondary),
Forwards: J’Eleisha Alexander, Talia Martin (both Scarborough Secondary), Nikita Gosine (Pleasantville Secondary), Myeisha Cox (San Juan North Secondary).
Top Five Players: Luann Craig (Five Rivers Secondary), Nikita Gosine (Pleasantville Secondary), J’Eleisha Alexander, Talia Martin, Dextra Harris (all Scarborough Secondary).

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Player of the Year: J’Eleisha Alexander (Scarborough Secondary)
In the race to silverware, Fatima College again were unrivalled among the football schools with nine trophies in the male categories: three national, and six zonal.
Arima North and St Benedict’s College managed the second biggest stash with six trophies each—St Benedict’s snared one national trophy (Senior Division) and five zonal titles, while all of Arima’s trophies came from their zone.

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In the female category, Pleasantville, Scarborough and Five Rivers snared four titles each, with the former two managing one national trophy apiece.
SSFL Honours List
Premier Division champions: Fatima College
National Intercol champions: Presentation College (San Fernando)

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Intercol zonal winners
- Central Zone: Chaguanas North Secondary
- East Zone: Arima North Secondary
- North Zone: St Anthony’s College
- South Zone: Presentation College (San Fernando)
- Tobago Zone: Speyside High

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National Big Five champions: St Augustine Secondary
Championship Division winners
- Central Zone: Miracle Ministries Pentecostal High School
- East Zone: St Augustine Secondary
- North Zone: Blanchisseuse Secondary
- South Zone: Moruga Secondary
- Tobago Zone: Signal Hill Secondary

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Senior Division
National champion: St Benedict’s College
Zonal winners
- Central Zone: Marabella South Secondary
- East Zone: Hillview College
- North Zone: Fatima College
- South Zone: St Benedict’s College

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Zonal Knockout champs
- East Zone: Arima North Secondary
- North Zone: St Anthony’s College
- South Zone: Presentation College (San Fernando)

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Under-16
National League champion: Fatima College
Zonal Champions
- Central Zone: Chaguanas North Secondary
- East Zone: Arima North Secondary
- North Zone: Fatima College
- South Zone: St Benedict’s College
- Tobago Zone: Speyside High

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Knock Out
- East Zone: Arima North Secondary
- North Zone: Fatima College
- South Zone: St Benedict’s College

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Under-14
National League champion: Naparima College
Zonal winners
- Central Zone: Presentation College (Chaguanas)
- East Zone: Arima North Secondary
- North Zone: Queen’s Royal College
- South Zone: Naparima College
- Tobago Zone: Signal Hill Secondary

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Knock Out
- East Zone: Arima North Secondary
- North Zone: Fatima College
- South Zone: Naparima College
Under-13/Form One
National League champion: Fatima College
Zonal winners
- East Zone: Trinity College East
- North Zone: Fatima College
- South Zone: St Benedict’s College
- Tobago Zone: Signal Hill Secondary

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Knock Out
- East Zone: Trinity College East
- North Zone: Fatima College
- South Zone: St Benedict’s College

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Girls Honours Row
National Big Five champs: Scarborough Secondary
Championship Division winners
- Central Zone: Miracle Ministries Pentecostal High School
- East Zone: Five Rivers Secondary
- North Zone: St Joseph’s Convent (POS)
- South Zone: Pleasantville Secondary
- Tobago Zone: Scarborough Secondary

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National Intercol champions: Pleasantville Secondary
Intercol zonal winners
- Central Zone: Miracle Ministries Pentecostal High School
- East Zone: Five Rivers Secondary
- North Zone: St Joseph’s Convent (POS)
- South Zone: Pleasantville Secondary
- Tobago Zone: Scarborough Secondary

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Senior Division
East Zone League winner: St Joseph Secondary
East Zone KO winner: Sangre Grande Secondary
Under-15
National champion: Signal Hill Secondary
League winners
- East Zone: Five Rivers Secondary
- North Zone: St Joseph’s Convent (POS)
- South Zone: Pleasantville Secondary
- Tobago Zone: Signal Hill Secondary

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Knockout winners
- East Zone: Five Rivers Secondary
- North Zone: St Joseph’s Convent (POS)
- South Zone: Pleasantville Secondary

Lasana Liburd is the managing director and chief editor at Wired868.com and a journalist with over 20 years experience at several Trinidad and Tobago and international publications including Play the Game, World Soccer, UK Guardian and the Trinidad Express.