By BVIFA
2016 Caribbean Cup National Virgin Islands Team. Photo: Provided
The Virgin Islands’ national football team left the Territory on Sunday 20th March, 2016, bound for Martinique for their first match of the 2016 Caribbean Cup.
The Group 7 game is scheduled for 22nd March and then the BVI team will return home to face a second group game against Dominica on Saturday 26th March, on the A.O. Shirley Ground at 4pm.
Fan favourite, Troy Caesar, back in the squad having missed the World Cup qualifiers in 2015 due to College obligations, is looking forward to reuniting with his old team mates and also players new to him. “Well first of all I have to give thanks to God who help give me life to see a next tournament, and after missing the world cup qualifier I realized how much I’m a integral part of the team, I also know being a part of the new look of the team is going to a challenge but as players we have to adjust as fast as we can because this is my second time playing against Martinique and I know they a very good it’s just for the team to work hard and follow our coach tactics and I have confidence we can move on to the next round after how we played Dominica last March,” said Caesar.
Joining Caesar will be a couple of his college team mates, Josh Fines and James Quinn. “Well after meeting them for the first time I could tell that their knowledge of the game and the way they played set them aside from most of my other teammates. Then playing alongside Josh Fines, James Quinn and Lewis Jones we built trust, but being together on and off the field, I know they are going to help the team greatly,” added Caesar.
Caesar is also well aware of what could be a large fan base of people with Dominican ties here in the BVI and that several of the team such as Trevor Peters, Chris Telemaque, and Ceasar himself have family from Dominica. “Well all the names you call are very talented players and playing with them for a number of years, I know their potential. But again, all the names you call have blood from Dominica but our birthplace is the BVI and I’m very excited to come back home to play even more against a country I always wanted to play. Before I left to come to the US, a lot of local players and spectators know how good I am and how great I can become and encourage me to play so coming back to play at home is an awesome feeling and to see my family and friends. But I just want everyone to come out and give their support because this team is going to change the way people look at BVI football”
The full squad includes:
Goal Keepers: Daniel Barker, Ben Chapman, Vesquever Frett
Defenders:Ryan Dicker, Troy Caesar, Karl Espley, Joshua Fines, James Quinn, Gregory James, Vanquever Frett
Midfielders: Jordon Johnson, Peter Monks, Kristan Javier, Lewis Jones, Gladstone Burke, Christopher Telemaque.)
Forward:Trevor Peters, Allon Williams.
Avondale Williams is the coach, John Riley the assistant coach and Sheldon Harry the physiotherapist.
