20-man squad for CFU U14 Boys Challenge Series

The National U14 Boys team will leave the island on Thursday, 11 August for the Dominican Republic to participate in the Caribbean Football Union’s (CFU) U-14 Challenge Series.

Twenty-five of 31 CFU Member Associations are competing in the tournament scheduled for 11-22 August 2022.

The Challenge Series serves as an introduction to international competition while allowing youth players to work on their overall game and deportment. It is also a developmental competition, allowing Caribbean match officials and referees the chance to learn and improve with a view to earning other appointments within the CFU, Concacaf and further.

The youth competition is usually held in alternate years for girls and boys. Last year, in a reemergence after Covid-19 disruptions, both competitions were held simultaneously. It was the first time Grenada fielded a team in the girls category.

This year there are 2 tiers of competition with Grenada in Tier II, group 3 along with the Cayman Islands, Martinique and St Lucia. Groups 1-3 in Tier II will play 3 matches in the group phases while Group 4 will play 4 matches. The top teams will advance to the Cross Group Playoffs, with the top 4 reaching the semifinals and the last two playing for the championship.

Earlier this year, a nationwide selection process was held by the Grenada Football Association (GFA) including Carriacou to provide all youth players with an equal opportunity to show their talent and secure a space on the team. The team started off training with over 40 players which has now been cut to 20 for the final squad. GFA Fitness and Performance Coach Claudio Altieri who has been working closely with the team for the past few weeks to improve players’ fitness ahead of the tournament said, “It has been a mix of enjoyment, discipline and hard-working sessions, therefore, we are more than ready to represent Grenada at the upcoming matches.”

President of the GFA Marlon Glean wished the team well saying, “We are very optimistic about the future of football  after seeing how far these youth players have come.”

The following is the final squad and coaching staff for the tournament.

GFA