By Neto Baptiste
Technical director for football in Antigua, Sowerby Gomes, said the country’s national under-20 team is set to play at least a couple of friendly encounters against credible opponents as they jumpstart preparations for the Concacaf Under-20 Championships starting in July.
“We want to do at least two of them (practice matches) within a particular window in July, and when that is done we have to pull those overseas-based players in so we can definitely forge the chemistry. We’re looking at a few South American teams and style of play that we will look to have in the competition when we go. So, we were looking at some teams in South America, Panama being one of them,” he said.
The young Benna Boys advanced to the July 25 to August 9 tournament following an unbeaten run in Group C of the Concacaf U20 Qualifiers in Costa Rica held early March.
Gomes said that since then, he has had dialog with head coach, Schyan Jeffers, to plot the way forward.
“Myself and the head coach would have sat down and worked out a plan as to how we’re going to be going about doing it. We have sought advice also from other experienced coaches as to how we’re going to lay out the whole process in planning of the players going into the program. However, behind the scenes, there will be some additional pulling in of the players who are here locally on the ground for a date before the 20th. The 20th is a date set for them rolling out the preparation period which will run them over a 16-week period,” the official said.
Antigua and Barbuda beat the Dominican Republic one-nil in the final group encounter to secure their advancement to the high-profile tournament while handing their opponents their first loss of the competition.
Suggesting that it could cost up to US$200,000 to adequately prepare the team, the TD said that the FA has reached out to a number of potential partners, including the government, for assistance.
“We have sent off to various agencies and we are hoping that word can get back to us very soon. At the same time, we have applied for project funding to assist us if we don’t get through with the sponsorship that we’re looking for. Dialogue has taken place with the government. Well, dialogue as it relates to us sending off the documentation to the requested agencies within the government for assistance on this particular project. So, it’s more than just talking, it’s putting it in black and white so they can have the written document, what it’s going to cost us, what we’re going to be doing, what we hope to do – from airfare, accommodation, coaches and players, preparation, bringing them in, all the full costing,” Gomes said.
The 12-team Championship is scheduled for the summer of 2026, running from July 25th to August 9th, and will feature the region’s 12 best men’s U-20 national teams divided into three groups of four. The tournament will also serve as the qualifying competition for both the 2027 FIFA Men’s U-20 World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics.
