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The Trinidad and Tobago Girls High Performance programme will split its representative teams in two for the Concacaf Girls’ Under-15 Championship, with each having its own staff, hotel and training days.
The tournament starts on Monday 5 August with the two local teams scheduled to play at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva—although there is a suggestion that this might be changed to the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain.
Photo: TTFA Media
Both Trinidad and Tobago teams are in League B, which is the second tier of the Concacaf competition.
The Trinidad and Tobago Girls High Performance team play the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) from 1pm on Monday in Group D, while the Trinidad and Tobago Girls National Under-15 Team face Antigua and Barbuda from 3pm at the same venue in Group C.
The Girls High Performance team will be headed by Paul Decle, the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) High Performance coordinator, while the Girls National Under-15 team will be led by Marlon Charles.
Once the tournament gets underway, the latter team will stay at the Regent Star Hotel while the national girls are booked for the Trinidad Hilton. They will then have separate training sessions and, largely, their own staff—with only Ayana Russell (assistant coach) and Kiren Johnson (medic) operating on both benches.
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868
Decle explained that Concacaf offered Trinidad and Tobago, as host nation, the chance to register a second representative team after the withdrawal of Nicaragua. And, after discussions between Charles, Decle and technical director Anton Corneal and authorisation by the TTFA executive, the High Performance programme accepted the challenge.
“The Fifa mandate for the High Performance programme is to grow your player pool,” Decle told Wired868. “We have been able to grow the player pool for girls to the extent that we are able to put out two teams—so that is one success for the programme.
“[…] If only 25 players were ready, we would have stayed with the one team. But we felt they were at a level where they could benefit from the experience and the high level competition.”
The National Under-15 Team includes the Trendsetter Hawks trio of defender Hackeemar Goodridge, goalkeeper Akiela Marryshaw and midfielder Jayda Herbert, and Pro Series attackers Scarlett Cole and Rori Gittens.
Cole and Gittens are both members of the National Under-15 team.
Photo: RBNYFL/ 12 Media Productions
And Hawks full back Ahmeeda Bowman and Pro Series midfielder Jaeda Wilson will feature with the High Performance team.
Missing from both rosters, though, are the gifted Pleasantville Secondary sisters Nikita and Natalie Gosine.
In a Trinidad Guardian interview, Gosine’s mother, Natalie Des Vignes, complained about her absence from the national programme. However, a TTFA source revealed that the Gosines have not attended a single training session in 2024, while discussions to have them rejoin the fold are yet to bear fruit.
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868
Nikita was expected to represent the Trinidad and Tobago Women’s National Under-17 Team at the Jewels of the Caribbean tournament last December. But she was not selected after skipped the final training session to play in a Futsal tournament.
Her mom told the Guardian that she felt her daughter had permission to do so, but the TTFA football source denied this.
The High Performance programme remains open to the Gosines, according to the source, and discussions will continue to have the two young players resume training as soon as possible.
Nesbitt was selected on the National Under-15 team.
Photo: Wired868
The following are the two local squads for the August 2024 Concacaf Girls Under-15 Championship:
(Trinidad and Tobago Girls National Under-15)
Goalkeepers: Akiela Marryshaw (Trendsetter Hawks), Zofia Richards (Crown Trace FC);
Defenders: Jessica Nesbitt (Eastern County United), Hackeemar Goodridge (Trendsetter Hawks), Kimani Wallace (Jewels SC), Mateja Leben, Taya Williams (both Pro Series FC);
Goodridge represented Pro Series in the RBNYFL competition, although she is a Trendsetter Hawks player.
Photo: Wired868
Midfielders: Mia Lee Chong (Orlando City ECNL—USA), Jayda Herbert, Mikalah Guerero (both Trendsetter Hawks), Rori Gittens (Pro Series FC), Shakilla Hamilton (South Stars SC), Sanni Wilson (Florida United SC—USA), Gyasi Lewis (Combined Ballerz);
Forwards: Shemaiah Toussaint (Cox Coaching School), Alliyah Baptiste, Zyesha Potts (both Jewels SC), Scarlett Cole (Pro Series FC).
Staff: Marlon Charles (head coach), Ayana Russell (assistant coach), Afiyah Matthias (assistant coach), Ricarda Nelson (team manager), Declan Squires (goalkeeper coach), Kiren Johnson (team medic), Raquel Russell (equipment manager), Kristin Fung (team doctor).
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868
(Trinidad and Tobago Girls High Performance team)
Goalkeepers: Kenisha Taylor (Jewels SC), Nika Ifill (Pro Series FC);
Defenders: Ahmeeda Bowman, Shiphrah Alleyne (both Trendsetter Hawks), Onesha Gregoire, Janae Cordner (both Jewels SC), Timera Ottley (Cox Coaching School), Adreishea Kent (Combined Ballerz);
Midfielders: Akeria Leacock, Lexi Sankar-Singh, Safeisha Ragguette (all Trendsetter Hawks), Sydney Pollard, Jaeda Wilson, Emma Collins, Jodi Harragin, Khloe Kirton (all Pro Series FC);
Photo: Wired868
Forward: Tyler Neptune (Jewels SC).
Staff: Paul Decle (head coach), Ray Mitchell (assistant coach), Ayana Russell (assistant coach), Carel Percy (team manager), Tyron Lewis (goalkeeper coach), Kiren Johnson (team medic), Davion Bartholomew (team doctor)
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