Team Saint Lucia faced defeat in a hard-fought match against Barbados, a gripping contest for the 2025 Windward Islands Football Association (WIFA) Senior Women’s championship title, concluding an impressive run in this year’s competition.
On Saturday (September 20), Barbados clinched the WIFA title with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Saint Lucia at Arnos Vale Playing Field in St. Vincent & the Grenadines (SVG) .
The Bajans grabbed the lead within the first half , but Saint Lucia responded fiercely to equalise, only for Barbados to pull ahead in the closing moments of the match.
The Piton Girlz had already made their mark by defeating Barbados 2-1 in their opening match and entered the final with an unbeaten record and high confidence.
Early in the game, they showcased sharp play, but a significant momentum shift occurred in the 32nd minute when goalkeeper Keena Lionel suffered an unfortunate injury.
Backup Renala Francis stepped up effectively; however, just before halftime, Barbados’ Rianna Cyrus broke through a crowded defense and capitalized, putting the Lady Tridents ahead.
Saint Lucia fired back in the 59th minute when Shamalyn Albert launched a long clearance, followed by Amaya Emmanuel slicing through midfield with precision, leading to Krysan St. Louis breaking free and delivering a composed finish into the bottom left corner.
This marked her fourth goal of the tournament and ignited a surge of energy on the Saint Lucian bench.
Tensions escalated in the 73rd minute when Saint Lucia’s captain, Cassandra Shepherd, was forced off after a foul. The match remained intensely competitive, with chances at both ends.
Ultimately, Barbados secured the win during extra time when Taryn Sutherland maneuvered past the defense and fired home the decisive goal, reversing the outcome of their earlier defeat.
Saint Lucia concluded the tournament with pride, demonstrating resilience and skill, achieving two wins, one draw, and a runner-up finish.
In the preliminary round, they showed their strength by defeating Barbados 2-1, holding hosts Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to a goalless draw, and dominating Dominica with a commanding 5-0 win.
In the third-place playoff, host nation SVG claimed the bronze with an impressive 3-0 victory over Dominica.