PHOTO: BVIFA
In another historic moment for BVI Women’s Football, the players continue their adventure in the World Cup with games this coming week against St Vincent and the Grenadines and Haiti in the Concacaf W Qualifiers.
Even more momentous is that the game against Haiti will be played on the A.O. Shirley Ground on April 9th with a 4pm kick off making it the first time a Women’s International game will have taken place in the Territory since 2014. That occasion was to mark the 40th Anniversary of the BVI Football Association being affiliated to FIFA, the World Governing body for Football and organizers of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, to be staged in New Zealand and Australia.
While a place on the plane to the “main event” is a dream for the current crop of players, their reality and focus is on an anticipated exciting game to be played at the Arnos Vale Stadium in St Vincent and the Grenadines against the Vincy Heat, on April 6th, with a 3.00pm kick off.
Tickets for the Haiti game are still available from the BVIFA office who also are offering a special deal for fans from Virgin Gorda with a round trip ferry crossing on Speedys included in the match ticket price.
Adults are $10 and children U12 just 5$ (VG Special is $30 adults and $20 U12’s).
The squad for the SVG leg has been confirmed as follows:
Ariel Mohamed, captain (Wolues FC), Zariya Smith vice-captain (Panthers FC), Kara Lewis (Panthers FC), Lil-Makeda Fahie (Avengers FC), Gabrielle Jermyn (Wolues FC), Jasmine Cox (Holland FC), Keeley Brickwood (Holland FC), Alicia King (DeMontford Uni.), Shevonne Vanterpool (Avengers FC), Zina Cheikh (Oakham Utd), Olivia Messum (DeMontford Uni), Chandni Wattley (Panthers FC), Britney Peters (Avengers FC), Darci Reich (Wolues FC), Morgan Creque (Panthers FC), Zolita Bamford (Wolues FC), Laverne Fahie (Avengers FC), Kiara Woodley (Wolues FC), Jackisha Rigobert (VG Utd) and Kimberly Smith (Wolues FC).
Head Coach is Wayne Phillip, Assistant Coach is Jeffrey Demming, Manager is Linda Magliore and Team Physio is Sheldon Harry.
“Training has been going excellent,” commented Phillips. “The girls are full of confidence and looking forward to the challenge. I am sure they will give a good account of themselves, and we are going out there to do well. We cannot afford to be over confidant but definitely want to play them on the front foot. In practice games the defense has looked more organized, and at the other end we have been scoring goals!”
The BVIFA is encouraging the public to show support for the Women’s National Team by attending their game against Haiti at the A.O. Shirley Ground which is expected to be well attended and full of excitement.
Contact the BVIFA by telephone on (284) 494-5655 for tickets.
About the Concafaf W Qualifiers*
The Concacaf W Qualifiers is the preliminary round of the 2022 Concacaf W Championship which will serve as the Confederation’s Qualifier to the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 and the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games.
The 30 Concacaf Member Associations participating, all ranked 3 and below in the FIFA Women’s Ranking as of July 2021, have been divided into six groups of five teams each as follows:
Group A: Mexico, Puerto Rico, Suriname, Antigua and Barbuda and Anguilla
Group B: Costa Rica, Guatemala, Saint Kitts and Nevis, US Virgin Islands, and Curacao
Group C: Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Bermuda, Grenada and Cayman Islands
Group D: Panama, El Salvador, Barbados, Belize and Aruba
Group E: Haiti, Cuba, Honduras, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and British Virgin Islands
Group F: Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana, Nicaragua, Dominica and Turks and Caicos Islands
After group stage play, where each nation will play two matches at home and two matches away, the top finisher in each of the groups – for a total of six teams – will advance to the Concacaf W Championship, joining the top two ranked Concacaf nations (USA and Canada) who have received a bye straight to the W Championship.
Additionally, both Group Stage third place finishers will advance to a FIFA Women’s World Cup intercontinental play-off. At the conclusion of the event, the winning nation will guarantee its place in the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games Women’s Football Tournament and the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup.
The runner-up and the third place will also progress to a Concacaf Olympic play-in to be played in September of 2023. The winner of the play-in will also guarantee their place in the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games and the 2024 W Gold Cup.
*Information source: Concacaf.com
