Sports
Roneil Walcott
As many as nine overseas-based players have been selected in Trinidad and Tobago’s 21-member squad for the 2026 Concacaf Under-17 Women’s qualifiers, which will run from January 24 to February 1. TT will be in group F alongside Barbados, El Salvador and hosts Curacao, with Guadeloupe pulling out because of financial constraints.
TT’s under-17 women’s football team was announced by the TT Football Association (TTFA) on January 18, with players such as Rori Gittens, Sydney Pollard and versatile Five Rivers Secondary player Hackeemar Goodridge in the mix. The overseas-based players are: Florida United’s Sanni Wilson; United Futbol Academy’s Gianna Changar; defender Layla Gregoire; LA Surf’s Shiyah Matthews; Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals’ Giuliana Meyer; FC Stars Blue’s Jade Jones; goalkeeper Saiya Smith and the Canadian-based pair of midfielder Chelsea John and attacker Torie Jean-Jacques.
Coached by Ayana Russell, the TT under-17s will begin the Concacaf qualifiers with a clash against the hosts Curacao on January 24, before meeting Barbados and El Salvador on January 28 and February 1, respectively. The qualifiers consist of six groups, with the group winners and the two-best second-placed teams advancing to the final round where they will join Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the US.
Though she pointed to challenges with the different phases of the team’s preparation on and off the field, Russell believes the group of players chosen is one which can deliver when they step into the FFK Willemstad Stadium, Curacao. “I think it’s just about sticking to the objectives. I think all I would have said with the struggles we’ve had, and are still having, the group itself is a really good group, and the staff here is a team,” Russell said, in a video shared by TTFA media on January 18.
“The star of the team is the team. And every struggle and challenge that comes our way, I see the team developing some team dynamics. And I think once we stick to that, I think that will be one of our biggest strengths coming out of this. I’m very confident in the group. I think we can come out of the group, so it’s just to stick to the objectives we would have given them off the field and use the team chemistry that we built with all the challenges off the field to help us on the field.”
Russell pointed to the importance of the mental aspect of the game and getting the girls’ minds right for competition, while she again touched on the need for improvement with how young footballers are developed in this country.
“They play competition all year round. There wasn’t really a developmental period. That was the biggest struggle for us as a staff and the players. All they want to do is play,” she said.
“They don’t want to do the mental part. They don’t want to do the nutrition and these different things, but all these factors play into becoming an elite player. For me, I would say they have improved tremendously technically and tactically. We have to get them to understand that if you don’t take this step, you’re not going to get to the next level. That’s something I saw a big improvement in.”
While progressing to the next phase of qualifying is crucial, Russell said the well-being of her players and staff is just as important to her. “For me, it’s about keeping the mental health of the players and staff because God wouldn’t give us what we can’t handle. Success for me will be seeing everybody deal with the pressures on the field and behind the scenes.”
The TT team will leave for Curacao on January 22.
TT under-17 women’s football team:
Goalkeepers: Alexia Dolland, Zofia Richards, Saiya Smith.
Defenders: Hackeemar Goodridge, Layla Gregoire, Mateja Leben, Gyasi Lewis. Jessia Nesbitt, Alia Toussaint.
Midfielders: Gianna Changar, Rori Gittens, Chelsea John, Jade Jones, Khloe Kirton, Zyesha Potts.
Forwards: Torie Jean-Jacques, Shiyah Matthews, Giuliana Meyer, Sydney Pollard, Shemaiah Toussaint, Sanni Wilson.
