Trinidad and Tobago’s Under-15 footballers closed off their campaign at the FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival in 94th position Thursday (October 29) when they went down 2-1 to Gibraltar in the Tier C final for 93rd position at the Hovsan Competition Complex in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Midfielder Zaa’Van Joseph of St Mary’s College scored the team’s lone goal in the losing contest, concluding an otherwise useful World Cup campaign that focused more on development than anything else. Assistant coach Leslie Joel Russell said it was a valuable learning experience for the young players.
"The tournament was a very good initiative, providing the players with an opportunity to gain valuable international exposure and experience. There were many positive moments throughout the games, and it also allowed us to assess where we are as a team.”
"Without a doubt, this was a valuable learning experience for the boys. However, we recognise that there is still a lot of work to be done as we continue our preparations for the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in June 2027. We will take the lessons learned, build on the positives, identify areas for improvement and continue working towards our goals,” Russell said.
From the tournament alone, the junior Warriors played 10 matches, winning four and losing six. In the group stage, the Warriors progressed to the Tier C play-offs with a 3-2 record that comprised victories over St Kitts & Nevis (3-1), the Cayman Islands (7-0), and Macau (4-0), as well as losses to Iraq (2-1) and Egypt (4-1).
Later in Tier C, the Randolph Boyce-coached team secured just a single victory over Liberia in five matches. Otherwise, they were beaten 4-2 by France, 3-2 by India, 4-1 by Namibia, and 2-1 by Gibraltar.
Boyce told the media earlier in the tournament that although he was satisfied with the performances of his charges, a lot more work was needed for them to compete at the international level.
The team began preparations some two months before the World Cup, which featured close to 200 teams. Boyce, mere moments before the team departed from the Piarco International Airport, called on club and academy coaches to do a better job of preparing players to represent the country.
The FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival is intended to address a fundamental challenge in international football: providing meaningful competitive opportunities for nations where qualifying for FIFA competitions remains an enormous challenge. The tournament enables every member association to experience international competition, benchmark itself against teams from around the world, and inspire the next generation of players, coaches, and technical staff.
