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Naparima College goalkeeper Mikhail Clement and Pleasantville Secondary attacker Nikita Gosine were crowned the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Boys and Girls Player of the Year respectively for the 2025 season.
The SSFL Awards Ceremony was held yesterday at the Couva/ Point Lisa Chamber of Commerce in Couva.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
Clement, who was also a member of the Trinidad and Tobago National Under-17 Team earlier this year, is the first goalkeeper to win that accolade in the SSFL Premier Division era.
A decent shot blocker with appreciable distribution skills, Clement conceded just eight goals from 15 league games in 2025, which was the lowest tally conceded for the season.
And he helped Naparima to a clean sweep of top flight titles, as they scooped up the Premier Division, South Intercol and National Intercol trophies.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
For Gosine, her SSFL gong completed an impressive double, as she was also the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) Women’s Player of the Year.
And Gosine was Pleasantville’s main weapon as they secured the South league and Intercol titles plus the National Intercol trophy. “P-ville” were joint Big Five winners, along with Signal Hill Secondary.
The SSFL’s top five boys also included St Benedict’s College midfielder Adam Pierre, Presentation College (San Fernando) forward Isaiah Jacob, St Anthony’s College playmaker Mordecai Ford and Signal Hill Secondary striker Kyle James.
Jacob set a Premier Division scoring record with 22 goals in the 15-game season.
The rest of the girls top five players comprised: Five Rivers Secondary attackers Hackeemar Goodridge and Jayda Herbert (both still under-15 players), Pleasantville Secondary goalkeeper Akeila Marryshow and St Joseph’s Convent (Port of Spain) utility player Kaitlyn Darwent.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
The complete All Star teams are as follows:
(2025 Boys SSFL All Stars)
Goalkeepers: Mikhail Clement (Naparima College), Thane Devenish (St Benedict’s College), Necose Moore (St Anthony’s College),
Defenders: Adam Pierre (St Benedict’s College), Criston Gomez (Arima North Secondary), Antonio Hills, Sebastian James (both Naparima College), Joshua Bernard (Presentation College, San Fernando), Raevion Marshall (Signal Hill Secondary),
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
Midfielders: Josiah Ochoa (St Benedict’s College), Jaydon Caprietta, Jabari Rodriguez (both Naparima College), Finn De Freitas (St Mary’s College), Mordecai Ford (St Anthony’s College), Ackim Duncan Jr (Signal Hill Secondary), Amar Allie Baccas (Scarborough Secondary), Seth Hadeed (Fatima College),
Forwards: Isaiah Jacob (Presentation College, San Fernando), Jasai Theophilus (Queen’s Royal College), Kyle James (Signal Hill Secondary), Giovanni Hospedales (St Augustine Secondary), Jean-Marc Thomas (St Anthony’s College), Phillip Nelson (Fatima College).
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868.
(2025 SSFL Girls All Stars)
Goalkeepers: Akilah George (Five Rivers Secondary), Akeila Marryshow (Pleasantville Secondary), Kenisha Taylor (Signal Hill Secondary),
Defenders: Akira Charles (Five Rivers Secondary), Mikalah Guerrero (Pleasantville Secondary), Kaitlyn Darwent (St Joseph’s Convent, POS), Alia Toussaint (Chaguanas South Secondary), Madison Campbell (Signal Hill Secondary), J’Eleisha Alexander (Scarborough Secondary),
Midfielders: Nikita Gosine, Natalia Gosine, Zara Chase (all Pleasantville Secondary), Orielle Martin (Bishop’s Anstey East), Shaquilla Daniel (Five Rivers Secondary), Ruth Cabrera (Tranquillity Secondary), Makaylah Robley (Signal Hill Secondary),
Photo: Dirk Allahar/ bCreative/ Wired868.
Forwards: Hackeemar Goodridge, Jayda Herbert (Five Rivers Secondary), Kaeley Martin (Pleasantville Secondary), Ty’kaiya Dennis (Signal Hill Secondary), Daneelyah Salandy, Sydney Pollard (St Joseph’s Convent, POS), Gyasi Lewis (Bishop’s High School, Tobago).
A SSFL official explained that the lists were based on votes from coaches during the season, with schools asked to name the player of the match from the opposing team after each game.
Not for the first time, there were obvious oversights on the All Star squads, along with a few eyebrow-raising picks.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
Six of Naparima attacker Riquelme Phillips’ eight league goals came against the Premier Division’s top seven schools: St Benedict’s, Signal Hill, Fatima, St Anthony’s and Trinity College.
The only top seven school that Phillips did not score against was Presentation College—and even he had little chance of a goal in that game, since he did not play.
Phillips’ early strike against Signal Hill, in an effective title decider, brought the Premier Division trophy back to Naparima for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
How on earth could Phillips, who has since transferred back to Speyside Secondary, be overlooked for the 2025 All Star squad?
Giant St Benedict’s College defender Malerky Fraser, indomitable Arima North Secondary captain and defender Jaquan Aguilleria, spirited St Augustine Secondary goalkeeper Tyrese Henry, “Pres Lions” playmaker Nikosi Foncette, and pacey St Anthony’s College winger Kanye Glasgow also have strong reason to query their omissions from the awards lists.
In contrast, St Anthony’s frontman Jean-Marc Thomas was not always on the starting sheet for his own school in 2025, while Arima North’s Gomez did not play for at least a third of the season and St Anthony’s goalkeeper Necose Moore missed even more games than that—having transferred from Chaguanas North Secondary in mid-season.
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868.
Scarborough Secondary midfielder Amar Allie Baccas and St Mary’s College playmaker Finn De Freitas are promising young players. But they were far from obvious picks from last season.
The 2025 SSFL Awards Ceremony noticeably had scores of empty chairs and missing students.
The SSFL executive committee, headed by president Merere Gonzales, held the gala in the middle of the exam period.
Photo: Dirk Allahar/ bcreative designs/ Wired868.
The date for the ceremony ruled out, in particular, students who were doing Principles of Accounts or Textiles, Clothing and Fashion at CSEC level, or Caribbean Studies, Art, Literature, IT, and Building and Mechanical Engineering Drawing at CAPE level.
(Some of the south students who had morning exams and access to a vehicle, were able to get to the ceremony after their test, which was impossible for pupils based in other parts of the country.)
The SSFL dedicated yesterday’s awards to late general secretary/ treasurer Azaad Khan, who passed away earlier this year.
Scarborough Secondary hope brush shoulders with Naparima again in 2026.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
Laurence Seepersad, the current assistant secretary—administration, will take over Khan’s duties, having run unopposed for the vacant seat.
Editor’s Note: Wired868 will update story with complete 2025 schools awards list tonight.
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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.
