Champs Fatima College will have the opportunity to go to the top of the Premier Division of the Secondary Schools Football League Wednesday (Oct 8) afternoon when they come up against San Juan North Secondary in San Juan.
The Mucurapo Road men, like Naparima College, are yet to taste defeat this season, and after a confidence-boosting triumph in the National Gas Company (NGC) Super Cup at the beginning of the season, Fatima College is second on the 16-team standings on 16 points, only bettered by Naparima College, who are on 18 points.
However, Naparima’s scheduled trip to Lewis Street, San Fernando, to face St Benedict’s College will not take place due to postponement. A teacher at Naparima College stated that they received a call from the SSFL to inform them that the match had been postponed due to the recent fire at St Benedict’s College.
Naps are eager to continue their winning streak, though the contests between the teams over the years have gone either way. With 16 points, a win for Fatima College will take them to 19 points and in the driver’s seat. However, the match promises to be no give-away, with the San Juan men, still reeling from the loss of their instrumental midfielder, Lindell Sween, would want to lift themselves from the 12th-place position that follows an unusual record for the San Juan institution of a win, two draws, and as many losses in their total of five matches for their five points to date.
Still, Fatima’s manager, Stephen Williams, prefers to tiptoe as a form of warranted respect for a team that will be showered with support when the match kicks off at 3.30 pm. “I prefer to take things one step at a time, because playing against San Juan in San Juan is never an easy task. The people there usually come out in their numbers, so they will have the support they need. Our boys will just have to ignore the noise and focus on what they have to do, which is to score goals and defend,” Williams told Guardian Media yesterday.
For the past four years, the Mucurapo Road school has cemented itself as the top school in the schools’ football league. Fatima’s premiership teams have shown good form over the past three seasons, winning the north zone and national Intercol titles in 2022, before copping the league’s premiership crown in 2023.
They retained the league title in 2024 and won the North Zone Intercol title. Meanwhile, their Under-20 team was also crowned national league and North Zone winners.
As last year’s league champions, Williams said everybody wants to beat Fatima. “Whenever we step onto the field, teams want to beat us, so we’re taking it one game at a time,” Williams said.
The game will be one of seven to be played this afternoon. Presentation College, San Fernando, which rebounded from a loss to Arima North Secondary 2-1, will attempt to go second when they travel to St Mary’s College Ground to take on the home team, while Queen’s Royal College and St Augustine Secondary will clash at QRC’s ground on Serpentine Road.
WEDNESDAY’S MATCHES
Carapichaima Sec vs Signal Hill, Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, 3.30 pm
Trinity College East vs Malick, Trinity College, 3.30 pm
San Juan North vs Fatima, San Juan Ground, 3.30 pm
QRC vs St Augustine, QRC Ground, 3.30 pm
St Mary’s College vs Presentation College, CIC Ground, 3.30 pm
Trinity College vs Scarborough Sec, Trinity Moka 3.30 pm
Arima North Sec vs St Anthony’s College, Arima Velodrome, 3.30 pm
Latest SSFL Premiership
P*W*D*L*GF*GA*GD*Pts.
1.Naparima College*6*5*0*0*20*01*20*18
2.Fatima College*6*5*1*0*19*08*11*16
3.Presentation College*6*5*0*1*13*04*09*15
4.St. Mary’s College*7*3*4*023*10*13*13
5.Queen’s Royal College7*4*1*2*12*11*02*13
6.St. Benedict’s College*6*4*0*2*16*08*08*12
7.St. Augustine Secondary*6*2*3*1*8*10*-2*09
8.Arima North Secondary*7*2*3*2*14*13*01*09
9.St. Anthony’s College*4*2*0*2*14*08*06*06
10.Trinity College Moka*7*2*0*5*11*21*-10*06
11.Malick Secondary*6*1*2*3*13*14*-01*05
12.San Juan North Secondary*5*1*2*2*11*13*-02*05
13.*Signal Hill Secondary*3*1*0*2*10*07*03*03
14.*Trinity College East*6*1*0*5*05*23*-18*03
15.Scarborough Secondary*7*0*2*5*07*25*-18*02
16.Carapichaima East Secondary*7*0*0*7*05*25*-20*00
