By: BVIFA
BVI National Football team. Photo credit: Charlie Jackson
The National team departed this morning, Tuesday May 27th, 2014, for Aruba where it will play in Group two of the 18th edition of the Caribbean Cup.
Also in the group are the host, Aruba, French Guiana and the Turks and Caicos.
The first game is Friday 30th May against French Guiana at 6.30pm followed by Aruba on Sunday June 1st at 8.30pm and the final game against the Turks and Caicos on Tuesday June 3rd at 6.30pm.
The full BVI squad includes: Damien Farrell, Gregory James, Andy Davis (captain), Joel Fahie, Fladimir Septus, Christopher Telemaque, Trevor Peters, Jasquever Frett, Troy Caesar, Jamal Sergeant, Kevin Fisher, Rushedo Robinson, Jhon Samuel, Vanquever Frett, Rondell Delfish, Shamoy Thompson, James Shearman, Montgomery Butler and Javier Smith.
Accompanying the squad are manager, Val Rose, Assistant Coach, Lenroy Henry, and Head Coach, Avondale Williams.
“I’m very pleased with the commitment of the players over the last few weeks of training and we can expect a much better performance than in previous years,” noted Williams ahead of the team’s departure.
“We are reaching the venue a couple of days ahead and will add the finishing touches to our plans before the opening game against French Guiana. We are aiming at qualifying for the next round in Puerto Rico and have done a lot of preparation on the mental side of the game as well as tactical. Our goal is to compete at the highest level and come out on top of the group”
The Tournament acts as a qualifier for the CONCACAF Gold Cup and the group winner will progress into Group Four which contains Puerto Rico (host Nation), Grenada and Curacao
Jamaica received a bye into the eight-team final round, which it will host in Montego Bay, November 9-18, and will be joined there by defending champion Cuba.
GROUP 1
Bonaire (host), Montserrat, U.S. Virgin Islands
GROUP 2
Aruba (host), British Virgin Islands, French Guiana, Turks & Caicos Islands
The first round, September 1-8, is comprised of four, four-team groups:
GROUP 3
Martinique (host), Barbados, Suriname, Group 1 winner
GROUP 4
Puerto Rico (host), Grenada, Curacao, Group 2 winner
GROUP 5
Antigua & Barbuda (host), Dominican Republic, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Anguilla
GROUP 6
St. Kitts & Nevis (host), Dominica, Guyana, St. Lucia
The first- and second-place teams from each group, as well as the third-place team with the best overall record, will progress to the second round. There, they will slot into three, four-team groups headed by hosts Trinidad & Tobago, Haiti and Guadeloupe. Those encounters will be played October 6-13:
GROUP 7
Trinidad & Tobago (host), Group 5 winner, Group 6 runner-up, Best overall third place
(Contd)
GROUP 8
Haiti (host), Group 6 winner, Group 3 runner-up, Group 4 runner-up
GROUP 9
Guadeloupe, Group 4 winner, Group 3 winner, Group 5 runner-up
The second round group winners and runners-up will advance to the final round.
This will also be the first time that the Caribbean Cup’s qualifying stages will be played during officially-sanctioned FIFA match dates, allowing national associations the latitude to include overseas players.
Trinidad & Tobago has won the tournament on a record eight occasions.
