Sports
Roneil Walcott
Fatima College just edged their southern rivals St Benedict’s College when they lifted the 2025 boys’ Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Super Cup with a 4-2 penalty shootout victory at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo, on September 12.
For 90 minutes, the teams didn’t quite put on the quality football display which fans have come accustomed to with the fierce recent battles between these teams in the last four seasons. Fatima would argue they had the better of the exchanges in regulation time, but they didn’t find the radar often enough to trouble Nafatalie Charles in the St Benedict’s goal. And when Fatima did find the target, they found an agile Charles to be a worthy opponent as the goalkeeper made a number of fine saves as the teams ended regulation goalless before going into the dreaded penalty shootout.
In the shootout, though, Fatima found Charles’ kryptonite as the boys from Mucurapo Road were perfect from the spot as all four of their kickers found the back of the net. Meanwhile, for Benedict’s, last year’s National Intercol champs, they weren’t as fluent from the spot as Andel Gabriel sprayed the second kick wide while Che Baptiste banged his right-footed spot kick off the bar as he aimed for the top corner of Fatima substitute goalkeeper Jaoden Barnett’s goal.
In the third minute of second-half stoppage-time, new Fatima coach Kerdyn Moe made a tactical adjustment for the shootout when he brought on Barnett for starting goalie Aidan Browne. Whether Barnett is the better penalty stopper or it was just mind games, Moe’s plan worked without a save even being required from his 15-year-old substitute goalkeeper.
Daquan Jackman, silky playmaker Seth Hadeed, Atuan Louison and lively substitute Jedaiah King expertly put away their penalties for Fatima to help their school lift the Super Cup for a second straight season after they defeated Presentation College San Fernando 2-1 in last season’s Super Cup clash. To kickstart the 2023 campaign, Fatima fell 4-3 to Benedict’s in a thrilling Super Cup affair as 2024 SSFL Boys’ Player of the year Derrel Garcia netted a hat-trick for the “La Romaine Lions.”
In the 2025 edition of the SSFL’s curtain-raiser which sees the previous season’s league and Intercol champs doing battle, it was the 2024 premier division winners who had the final say.
Clear-cut chances were few and far between in the contest, with Fatima looking the likelier team to score, particularly after the second-half introductions of King and Jeremai Nanton.
With Benedict’s setting up with a 3-1-4-2 shape and Fatima countering with a 3-4-3 system, the teams effectively cancelled out each other as neither wanted to give ground in this SSFL derby. Fatima were purposeful, but not potent in the final third and the trio of Baptiste, Salim Sloanes and Jelani Scott were solid at the back for Benedict’s, while Charles did his job smartly when called upon.
In the 36th minute, Charles made an uncomfortable save when he tipped a curling right-footed shot from Matthew Lee Young over bar, while Hadeed also had a cheeky corner tipped over at the end of first-half stoppage-time.
After the interval, Benedict’s brightest moment came when Scott flashed a free kick wide on the hour mark. The reigning Intercol champions seemed comfortable with playing on the counter as Charles and the defence did their best to hold off Moe’s Fatima team which hunted for a decisive goal. In the 64th minute, a probing Hadeed had a venomous shot deflected into Charles’ gloves, and the midfield schemer soon got some support when the attacking pair of King and Nanton entered the fray.
In the 69th minute, King inexplicably volleyed wide from close range when a left-side corner fell to him at the back stick, while a brilliant diving stop from Charles beat away the Fatima player’s free kick effort ten minutes later. In the 84th minute, the impressive Charles came good again when he saved a curling Hadeed effort which looked destined for the top corner. Five minutes later, the speedy King was presented with another good chance but wildly fired over bar after being played in behind the defence by Hadeed.
With neither team able to find the all-important goal in regulation time, it was Fatima’s players who held their nerves in the shootout to finally get past Charles and lift the Super Cup.
