In a dramatic conclusion to the premier sporting event of T&T’s financial sector, Scotiabank TT has secured its second consecutive championship at the CariFin Games Football Tournament. Now in its 15th year, the tournament culminated in an electrifying final that saw Scotiabank triumph 2-0 over T&T Mortgage Bank (TTMB) at Republic Bank Grounds, Barataria on Saturday (May 10).
The victory marks a remarkable comeback story for Scotiabank, which wasn’t among the top three contenders heading into the semifinals but staged a stunning upset against tournament favourites. Meanwhile, TTMB’s journey to the final was equally impressive, returning to competition after a five-year absence since 2019 and immediately making their presence felt with a second-place finish.
“Passion. From the beginning, the guys came out focused. We had a clear goal—to remain champions and defend our title from last year,” said Marvin Springer, Scotiabank team captain. “Our strategy was straightforward—play hard. We came prepared with a clear formation, and every player understood their role. That allowed us to execute effectively right down to the final whistle.”
The tournament utilised a balanced round-robin format where all seven financial institutions faced each other once, with each team playing six matches. This single round-robin phase determined the top four teams that advanced to the semifinals.
The drama of the tournament centred on Scotiabank’s route to the final. Entering the knockout phase, they sat fourth in the standings with just 11 points, trailing well behind the dominant Central Bank of T&T (CBTT) with 15 points, Unit Trust Corporation’s (UTC) 12 points, and tied with TTMB’s 11 points. What made Scotiabank’s position even more precarious was their goal-scoring drought—they had netted just one goal during the entire group stage, compared to CBTT’s nine and UTC’s ten.
Despite these challenges, Scotiabank’s resilience shone through in the semifinals, where they faced the tournament’s top seed, CBTT. In a tense defensive masterclass that ended 0-0, Scotiabank advanced thanks to an “Most Valuable Player” (MVP) performance by Nkosi Ifill, stunning the previously undefeated Central Bank squad, who had not lost a single match in regulation time. The other semifinal saw TTMB defeat UTC 1-0, setting up an unexpected final between the tournament’s third and fourth-placed teams.
Individual achievements were highlighted by dual MVP honours for Tevin Peters and Ifill, each earning the distinction three times throughout the tournament. Christopher Serrant of UTC claimed the “Top Scorer” award with four goals, cementing his reputation as one of the tournament’s elite strikers. Other notable goal scorers included Machel Inniss (UTC), Kern Gardiner (CBTT), and Shaquille Huggins (TTMB) with three goals each.
Springer elaborated on Scotiabank’s tactical approach: “The first three games started off wonderfully. However, the sun and humidity really took a toll as the day progressed. In the last three group-stage games, we rotated our line-up, allowing our main players to rest and giving more playing time to those who hadn’t played much earlier. That tactical decision gave us a stronger team in the semifinals, and as you saw, we delivered an excellent performance, continuing strongly into the finals.”
Now in its 33rd year, the CariFin Games have been uniting T&T’s financial services sector through sport since 1992. The football tournament represents the eighth event in a nine-event calendar spanning three months. Points earned here significantly impact the overall CariFin standings as institutions vie for the ultimate champion title.
“Well, being in second place this year, I just want to take time off to say that we were the 2019 Champions of CariFin. And what we learned today was it’s just a matter of coming together as one and being a team — a family,” said Andre Jackie, goalkeeper for TTMB. “Actually, after 2019, being champions in 2019, this was the first time we entered the competition again. So, I guess being away from the competition for so long, we probably didn’t come first this time. But we’ll do it again next time.”
Jackie highlighted a memorable moment from TTMB’s campaign: “I would thank the goal by Shaquille Huggins for our team,” and added that the tournament serves a broader purpose: “We’re trying our best to get more of our co-workers together — all my co-workers — as a family, to bring us together, make us stronger. So, at least at the end, we can be champions overall for the events.”
What makes Scotiabank’s triumph even more impressive is their unique playing style throughout the tournament. While other top teams like CBTT and UTC dominated with offensive firepower (scoring 9 and 10 goals, respectively), Scotiabank relied on a team-focused approach. As Springer emphasised: “If I had to choose an unsung hero, it would definitely be the entire team. Everyone played an essential role. Kudos to each player. Today, even our weakest link became our strongest, and our strongest link supported when it counted.”
This football championship victory adds crucial points to the participating institutions’ totals in the broader CariFin Games competition, potentially reshaping the overall CariFin Games leaderboard as the series heads into its final event.
Football results
1 Scotiabank TT
2 T&T Mortgage Bank
3 Central Bank of T&T