Saint Lucia continues to prepare a team to compete in the Under-17 FIFA World Cup, with qualifiers set to commence in Guatemala from February 7 to 16.
The 2025 CONCACAF U-17 Men’s Qualifiers will determine the eight regional participants for the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup in November. This new format features a single-round qualification involving 35 CONCACAF Member Associations across six venues, divided into eight groups.
Following round-robin play, where each team competes against one another, the eight group winners will qualify for the World Cup.
Saint Lucia is prepared to face formidable opponents in Group H which includes Jamaica, El Salvador, and the Cayman Islands. The team will kick off their campaign against Guatemala on February 10.
A contingent from Saint Lucia departed for Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday to undergo a six-day training camp, with several practice matches, before heading to Guatemala.
During a media briefing last week, SLFA President Lyndon Cooper emphasised that the journey toward World Cup representation is relentless. He underscored the SLFA’s commitment to sourcing investments necessary for the development of football on the island.
Cooper urged players to embrace this responsibility “with vigour and drive” as they aim for greater heights in their football careers.
Head Coach Marco Masucci confirmed that the team has been training diligently over the past months and is in excellent condition. He said that the training camp in Trinidad and Tobago will be crucial to fine-tune player skills and enhancing team cohesion, particularly with the three UK overseas-based players. Masucci is confident that the team will deliver a strong performance at the World Cup Qualifiers while acknowledging the challenging nature of their opponents.
On Friday evening, players engaged in an intensive training session that included a practice match at the Corinth Playing Field. Following the match, they collaborated with the technical unit to evaluate key strategies as Team Saint Lucia readies itself for the upcoming games.
The selected players and technical unit are as follows –
Goalkeepers: A’dee Germe, Tyrell Vidal, Dante Saul;
Defenders: Malick Louis (Right Fullback), Alex Devaux (Left Fullback), Rhyime Montoute (Right Fullback/Centre Back), Justin Augustin (Centre Back);
Midfielders: Thierry Morille, Keenan Joseph, Eli Prospere, Jacob Austini (UK-based), Dervaj Edward, Adriano Auguste, Ethan Oculi, Abdul Kareem Aman (UK-based);
Forwards: Kai Russel (Left Winger, UK-based), Tashawn Walter (Right Winger), Neondre Charles, Justice Germaine, Traylan Henry (Striker), Shevon Byron (Striker)
Manager: Shayne Paul
Head Coach: Marco Masucci
Assistant Coach: Stern John
Technical Unit: Sean Rosa (Video Analyst), Anthony Corneli (Strength & Conditioning), Selva Wilson (Assistant S&C), Rebertha Wilfred (Physio), Natasha Innocent (Team Doctor), Bernard President (Goalkeeper Coach), Julien Casimir (Equipment Manager).
R.A