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The Trinidad and Tobago Boys National Under-14 Team travelled to the Dominican Republic with one player short yesterday, for the 2026 CFU U-14 Boys Challenge Series.
Fatima College student and City FC defender Ryan Aquing headed to the Piarco International Airport at roughly midnight on Thursday, to join his 17 teammates for their first excursion as national players—only to be told at check-in that he could not fly.
(via Foundation Park Sports.)
Although Aquing held a valid passport, it was set to expire within six months. This issue was not picked up earlier by team manager Adrian Romain, although players submit passport details to team management before selection.
Still, Romain told Wired868 that Trinidad and Tobago should have a full complement of players in time for kick off against Puerto Rico on Monday 17 August 17. The two nations are also paired with Haiti and French Guiana in Group B.
“All players will be readily available for Monday,” said Romain.
Romain is the National U-14 team manager.
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868.
Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) president Kieron Edwards suggested that Romain was not at fault.
“Normally, the airlines would say if the passport is too short for the issuing of tickets, but that did not happen in this case,” Edwards told Wired868. “[…] The airline actually issued a ticket for him, but when he reached to the counter the person who had to give him his boarding pass refused to do so (because of the expiry date on his passport).”
Wired868 understands that Aquing’s parents were able to secure him an expedited passport in less than 24 hours, although the young man would also need an adult to fly with him.
Copa Airlines policy does not permit unaccompanied minors in cases of connecting flights, and the National Under-14 team travels to the Dominican Republic via Panama.
Edwards confirmed that Aquing will travel with his father and be in the Dominican Republic in time for the scheduled arrival of teams. The Trinidad and Tobago contingent travelled a day earlier.
Edwards is the current managing director of Central FC.
(via TTFA Media.)
“We just calmly moved along and got his passport renewed yesterday and got him on the flight to DR,” said Edwards. “The player is travelling with his father and he will reach in a couple of hours.
“[…] Once you are part of a national team and requesting a passport it will be expedited.”
It is the second time in successive years that the youngest representative team of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) had to find a way to ferry a 14-year-old boy across international borders, outside of the main travel group.
(via TTFA Media.)
Last year, Signal Hill Secondary defender Kyen Anderson was left behind at Piarco, after a late scramble for flights to the August 2025 Concacaf Boys’ Under-15 Championship in Aruba saw the national team receive one booking short.
In Anderson’s case, the respective airline’s policy for minors between 5 and 14 did permit him to fly under the supervision of flight attendants, while team manager Nigel Roberts arranged for an adult to help him at check-in for his connection.
Edwards said the two scenarios were not similar, though, while he said the TTFA’s policy for national travel is solid.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
“We have things in place to help with the renewal of passports,” said the TTFA president. “But, yes, maybe there are ways that it can be strengthened in the future, because different airlines give different stipulations.”
The composition of the National Under-14 Team raised eyebrows, earlier this week, with 10 of the 18 players selected from one club team: City FC.
All four National U-14 defenders selected, Hasheem Salandy, Alex Wortman, Ryan Aquing, Darion Alzola, plus midfielders Declan De Freitas, Eli-Akim Nelson, and Judea Phillip, and forwards Jake Correia, Jiair Nanton, and Kayden Rosalis are from the west Port of Spain-based club.
(via TTFA Media.)
Conspiracy theories only intensified after Gatorade, a City FC sponsor, was revealed—by the North Football Federation—to be a sponsor of the national youth team for the trip.
In an unusual move, the Gatorade emblem dwarfed the TTFA’s logo on the travel kit for the National Under-14 team.
The North Football Federation is a rebrand of the Northern Football Association (NFA), which itself was a major beneficiary of City FC’s sponsors for the TTFA-run 2026 National Youth League (NYL).
City FC squeezed into the semifinals of the NYL U-15 Division this year—after they came from behind to edge Maloney Real Footballers on penalties in the quarterfinal phase—before being eliminated by Point Fortin Youth Academy. San Juan Jabloteh won the domestic National Under-15 competition outright.
Neither Jabloteh nor Point Fortin had a single selection on the National Under-14 team.
However, prolific Jabloteh forward Asaiah Alexander and captain Yisrael Ajoonsingh were too old to represent the National Under-14 team—and it is possible that some players who caught the eye from the respective teams were ineligible for selection.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Arima Araucans.
Crucially, national coach Randolph Boyce did not scout nor hold open trials for selection, which meant it was difficult for several talented players in that age group to be seen.
Jabloteh manager Stephen Clarke confirmed that his club did not receive a request from Boyce or the TTFA to send players for trials.
Boyce, therefore, saw only a fraction of the available talent in his age group. Unquestionably, City FC possess some stand-out talent.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
City FC and Fatima attacker Jiair Nanton, for instance, has been making a reputation for himself as a precocious talent for years. He is the younger brother of National Under-17 winger Jeremai Nanton.
City FC and St Mary’s College midfielder Declan De Freitas, son of club director Colm De Freitas, is also a fine midfield organiser—as is his elder brother and National Under-17 midfielder, Finn De Freitas.
City FC and Queen’s Royal College (QRC) defender Hasheem Salandy was selected as the national captain, which also suggests that he is highly rated by Boyce.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
Wired868 asked City FC director, Colm De Freitas, to shed some light on Gatorade’s involvement with the national youth team, the expanding role of his club’s sponsors in the local game, and whether he wished to address fears by other clubs that it might create an uneven playing field.
De Freitas insisted all selections from his team were done on merit, and refuted any suggestion that his club had a non-sporting relationship with the local football body.
“City FC has no involvement in TTFA commercial or technical matters—those matters are entirely the remit of TTFA and their partners,” De Freitas told Wired868. “Regarding the expanding roles [in local football] of companies who sponsor my club, again you would have to refer to those companies for any explanation on their spend allocation or strategy on who they sponsor.
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868.
“And again, I don’t think I can address any fears of other clubs other than to say we categorically do not have any involvement in TTFA technical and commercial matters including player selection.”
De Freitas noted that his team did not go all the way in the 2026 NYL U-15 competition, but retorted that his players were generally a year younger than their rivals. And he insisted they were the best playing team, regardless.
He suggested that the technical competence of his players was a possible factor in why Boyce opted to make them the backbone of the national team, particularly with the short preparation time for the CFU tournament.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
“[Ten from 18 players on the National U-14 team] is an incredible achievement for our club and we are extremely proud,” said De Freitas. “I understand it is probably unprecedented, so I understand the curiosity.
“[…] This group played a year+ up in [the NYL] and was hands down the best playing team. They also won the top division of the Inter Miami Dreams Cup—not the 2nd and 3rd divisions (of that tournament) that other local teams entered.
“It’s a very strong group and, if I’m being honest, there were a couple omissions we thought would make the National team but didn’t. So it goes.”
Photo: TTFA Media.
Trinidad and Tobago Boys’ National Under-14 team
Goalkeepers: Jean Paul Barrimond (Fatima College), Liam Alleyne (St Benedict’s College),
Defenders: Hasheem Salandy (Queen’s Royal College), Alex Wortman, Ryan Aquing (both Fatima College), Darion Alzola (St Anthony’s College),
Midfielders: Declan De Freitas (St Mary’s College), Kiyan Jupiter (Fatima College), Taariq Kerr, Zidan Tinto (both Hillview College), Zaire McMillan (Bishop’s High School), Eli-Akim Nelson (Queen’s Royal College), Judea Phillip (St Anthony’s College), Kymani Mohan (Naparima College),
Forwards: Jake Correia, Jiair Nanton, Kayden Rosalis (all Fatima College), Abayomi Hope (Trinity College East),
Head Coach: Randolph Boyce.
Team manager: Adrian Romain.
Group B Fixtures
- August 17: Trinidad and Tobago vs Puerto Rico
- August 18: Trinidad and Tobago vs Haiti
- August 19: Trinidad and Tobago vs French Guiana.
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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.
