The National Football Team (Sugar Boys) is facing its first encounter on 23rd March against the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), which will be followed by a return match in the TCI on 26th March. Qualifier matches are being played on a home-and-away basis, and should the St. Kitts and Nevis team succeed against TCI, then it would have an engagement with El Salvador.
“We’re pretty confident, we’ll be able to go past Turks and Caicos in the first round,” said Stanley Jacobs, secretary-general of the St. Kitts and Nevis Football Association.
“El Salvador is one of the big football names in the CONCACAF region. Their quality of football is going to be very high. We have to prepare our team well to advance past El Salvador,” opined Jacobs.
According to Jacobs, the SKNFA anticipates that this match-up would provide great exposure for the country, because of the media attention associated with teams such as El Salvador.
“These teams travel around with a lot of media. It would be good exposure, not just for football, but good exposure for the country as a whole,” said Jacobs.
National coach Jeffery ‘Pedro’ Hazel is charged with the responsibility of getting the national football team into top form to face the challenges ahead, and he is confident that the team would do well.
“Most of the players are professionals playing in England, Trinidad and Tobago and the United States. Our full 20-man squad should be here by 19th March, and we are doing everything to be prepared mentally, physically and tactically,” said Coach Hazel.