Premier Division leader San Juan North Secondary School will have their plate full Saturday when they face Naparima College in a clash of the heavyweights of the Secondary Schools Football League’s from 3.30 pm at Bourg Mulatresse in San Juan.
The showdown between the respective first and third teams on the standings will be the feature match on the schedule of eight matches across T&T.
Naparima manager Perci Samlalsingh said it’s a game they must win. However, he did not hint at the possibility of an easy match, saying it would be a contest that could go in any direction.
Both teams, in their last match, coincidentally won by a comfortable 4-0 margin. Naparima thrashed Bishop’s High School, Tobago while San Juan clobbered the other Tobago team Speyside High.
Samlalsingh said they will show their counterparts respect, being one of the top teams in the competition. He admitted that his charges will have to be on their “P’s and Q’s” against San Juan’s lethal players, particularly midfielder Lindell Sween and company, however, San Juan’s players will also have to be on the lookout for his players as well.
“We have been scoring goals, like San Juan and we have been playing well, so we will see how it goes today. What I can tell you is that it will be a tough match,” Samlalsingh said.
‘Naps’, as they are popularly called, is third on the chart with 21 points and a win could put them in the leading position, providing that second-place Fatima College wins their match against Arima North Secondary at their Mucurapo Road ground in Port-of-Spain.
Fatima, the 2022 National InterCol winner, is second in the standings with 22 points while newly-promoted Arima North is in the seventh position with 16 points.
Meanwhile, struggling Queen’s Royal College (QRC) will attempt to lift themselves out of a slumber against East Mucurapo at home on Serpentine Road, St Clair.
The Royalians are 12th in the standing with nine points in as many matches to date.
Saturday’s matches
Bishop’s High vs St Anthony’s, Plymouth recreation ground
Chaguanas North Secondary vs St. Benedict’s College, Edinburgh 500 ground
Fatima College vs Arima North Secondary, Fatima Ground
Pleasantville Secondary vs Malick Secondary,Yolande Pompey recreation ground
Presentation College vs Trinity College East, Manny Ramjohn Stadium
QRCe vs East Mucurapo, Mucurapo Road
San Juan North vs Naparima, Bourg Mulatresse
St Mary’s vs Speyside, St Mary’s ground
Current standings:
Position Team P W D L F A Pts
1*San Juan North*9*8*0*1*28*10*24
2*Fatima*9*7*1*1*34*5*22
3*Naparima*9*7*0*2*40*7*21
4*St Benedict’s*9*5*2*2*19*8*17
5*Presentation*9*5*2*2*12*6*17
6*St Anthony’s*9*5*1*3*25*14*16
7*Arima North*9*4*4*1*14*5*16
8*Speyside*9*4*1*4*12*17*13
9*St Mary’s*9*4*0*5*23*29*12
10*Malick*9*3*1*5*23*15*10
11*East Mucurapo*9*3*1*5*9*20*10
12*QRC*9*3*0*6*14*19*9
13*Trinity East*8*2*2*4*11*11* 8
14* Pleasantville*9*1*1*7*6*39*4
15*Bishop’s High*8*1*0*7*4*24*3
16*Chaguanas North*9*1*0*8*3*48*3
