July 24, 2026
The CFU Club Shield is a competiton organised by the Caribbean Football Union within CONCACAF as a second tier international competition, with the winners and the runners-up progressing to the first tier CONCACAF Caribbean Cup, from which three sides qualify for next season’s CONCACAF Champions Cup.
This was the 9th edition of the CFU Club Shield, which is traditionally played on one island each year, and this year the host was Trinidad and Tobago, with matches spread across three stadiums in Trinidad. Twenty-two islands had sent teams to the tournament, which was scheduled to be played between July 23rd and August 2nd on a knockout basis, with 6 preliminary round games being played before the round of 16.
Today’s game selected by Fatbear was a preliminary round match between the representatives of St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Sint Marteen. The winners would play Metropolitan from Puerto Rico in the last 16.
The match was being played at the 10,000 capacity Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva in the West-Central region of the island, which has a grass pitch surrounded by an athletics track. The stadium is named after the former sprinter who won four medals in the Olympic Games, finishing 3rd in both the 1996 Atlanta 100 & 200 metres, and third again in the 2000 Sydney 200 metres, but grabbed silver in the 100 metres. Boldon also won gold in the 200 metres in the 1997 World Championships in Athens, and followed that up with bronze and silver respectively in the 2001 World Championships in Edmonton, Canada.
Football In St Vincent And The Grenadines
St Vincent And The Grenadines ( SVG ) are currently 170th in the FIFA World Rankings. In their qualification group for the 2026 World Cup, SVG managed to beat Anguilla ( H 6-0 ), but lost their other three matches, Suriname ( A 1-4 ), El Salvador ( H 0-2 ), Puerto Rico ( A 1-2 ).
Nearly all of the national team play their club football on the islands, with the most notable exception of forward Cornelius Stewart ( 80 caps, 27 goals ) who is now playing in Indonesia after a career which has included playing in Canada, Finland, The Maldives, India and Bangladesh.
Players from the English non-league to have been called up in the last year include Concord Rangers keeper Dondre Abraham ( 1 cap ), ex-Newport County, Torquay, Wrexham, Chelmsford City and now Billericay Town defender Jazzi Barnum-Bobb ( 8 caps ), Haywards Heath defender Joseph Barter, and Cheshunt defender Chevron McLean ( 6 caps ).
Perhaps the most widely known former SVG international in the UK would be striker Rodney Jack ( 45 caps, 23 goals ) who had a long career with Crewe Alexandra, Torquay United, Rushden & Diamonds and Oldham Athletic in the 1990s and 2000s.
SVG Domestic League
The top tier of the St Vincent And The Grenadines football is the Vincy Premier League, which consists of 10 teams who play each other twice for an 18 game season.
The first championship was contested in 1998/99 and Avenues United have won the most titles with four.
The 2024/25 championship was won by North Leeward Predators, who finished four points ahead of Hope International for their first title, which secured their place in this year’s CFU Club Shield. However, they failed to defend their title, finishing 4th in the 2026 competition, 9 points behind System 3.
North Leeward Predators were formed in 2007 in the town of Chateaubelair and they would be the first side from SVG to compete in the CFU Club Shield.
The most recent SVG national squad included four North Leeward Predators players, namely keeper Samir Bristol ( 2 caps ), midfielder Diel Spring ( 34 caps ), who had played in the 4th tier in Poland, midfielder Addeen Charles ( 13 caps ) and midfielder/winger Kirtney Franklyn ( 9 caps ).
Football In Sint Maarten
Sint Maarten is part of the Kingdom Of The Netherlands and is the southern part of the divided island of St Martin. Fatbear has enjoyed several holidays on the island.
However, Fatbear had never seen a game of football on the island, but did watch St Maarten play cricket against US Virgin Islands at the Carib Lumber Park in Philipsburg. These diaries also produced a report on a match between Anguilla and St Martin, the French side of the island, in 2023, which saw a side packed with players from the lower leagues in France storm to a convincing 6-0 win.
Neither St Martin or Sint Maarten are members of FIFA, and Sint Maarten’s application was rejected by FIFA in 2016. However, both nations play in CONCACAF competitions, playing in the CONCACAF Nations League and CONCACAF Series. Recent results for Sint Maarten had seen victories over Dominica and Belize, and draws with St Kitts and Nevis and Dominica.
Most of the players that represented Sint Maarten in the past year play in the lower leagues in the Netherlands but the players from SCSA Eagles called up in the past 12 months were keeper Chandro Wilkin and midfielder Neil Henderson.
The Sint Maarten Premier League had been contested since 2001, and SCSA Eagles have been the most successful, winning the last four editions. The league consists of six sides who play each other three times for a 15 game season. In 2025, SCSA Eagles won 14 of their 15 games, only dropping points in a 1-1 draw with Super Stars.
Social Cultural Sport Association Eagles were formed in 2019 and are based in Philipsburg. They had previously played three matches in the CFU Club Shield, but had lost all three of them, being beaten by BAYS of St Lucia, All Saints United from Antigua and Police from Trinidad and Tobago.
Matchday Information
The weather at the 11.00 kick-off ( 15.00 UK time ) was dry, overcast and 31 degrees, but the forecasted light rain stayed away.
The match was live streamed on the CFU official YouTube channel with an English commentary
The Predators were playing in all blue whilst the Eagles were in all yellow.
Referee was from Martinque, with assistants from Barbados and Guadeloupe.
Match Report
The first half-chance of the match came in the 4th minute when Predators’ Franklyn robbed the sleeping Niomi Crooks and ran into the Eagles area, but the shot was weak and an easy pick up for keeper Wilkin.
Augusto Calvar appeared to the set-piece expert for the Eagles, but his first free-kick into the Predators’ box was easily headed away, whilst the next was chipped straight at the Predators’ keeper who had an easy catch.
Predators’ Deshad Simmons made a good run down left and Eagles’ Loxley Parker was forced to put the cross out for a corner. At the other end Eagles’ Aron Jones showed good skill on the left and was able to find striker Sandro Jacob with his pass, but the shot from 8 yards was blocked.
With 17 minutes on the clock, Calvar carelessly gave the ball away, enabling Simmons to run into the Eagles’ area but the left-footed effort went into side netting. Two minutes later keeper Wilkin need to be alert to dive on a through ball before Franklyn could get on the end of it
There didn’t seem to be much danger when Predator full-back Sydroy Bentick took a throw-in deep inside the Eagles’ half but his throw reached Koby Mingot inside the area, who easily turned past the statuesque Parker and stroked the ball left-footed into the centre of the goal as the keeper dived to his left in anticipation. 1-0 after 22 minutes.
The hydration break was immediately taken before Eagles could restart the game.
Eagles nearly scored a fluke equaliser in the 31st minute. Parker overhit a free-kick from near to halfway and the ball floated into area. Keeper Bristol decided to leave it, but the ball struck the crossbar and centre-back Terrence Williams spared his keeper’s blushes and hoofed clear before any Eagles attacker could capitalise.
A minute later Crooks played a careless pass and Simmons should have made him pay, but his pass intended for Mingot was chronically under hit, and Eagles were able to clear.
Simmons again had a chance to create something, getting into a good position on right, but his ambitious through ball for Mingot rolled through to the keeper.
Three minutes before the interval a defence splitting ball by Kennijha Joseph released Simmons on the left to run in area, but shot was blocked by keeper Wilkin. Shortly after Mingot looked to run onto long ball but with the keeper in no-mans-land he slipped, just when he looked certain to score.
It remained 1-0 at the break and the Predators had looked much sharper but final pass was lacking in quality. The Eagles’ high defence line was easily being breeched and they had barely threatened going forward, apart from the long range free-kick misjudged by the Predators’ keeper.
The second half started in a lively fashion. Simmons made a good run and pass down the left. Franklyn dummied to leave Mingot clear 12 yards from goal. However, the striker dithered and Crooks took the ball away from him.
The Eagles counter-attacked, and although there was a suspicion of offside, the referee waved play on. D’Angelo Thompson ran into the area but his left footed shot was pushed into the side netting by the keeper.
Bristol flapped at the corner and Thompson’s snap-shot shot was blocked by Addeen Charles, and Predators’ cleared for a throw-in. When Eagles lost possession, Simmons played a ball down the left-hand channel but Eagles keeper Wilkin came out of his area to clear ahead of Mingot.
The game then took an unexpected turn when Eagles’ James Homere ran past three defenders on left and his ball into area took a deflection and then struck the arm of Durham. The referee immediately pointed to the spot, and the replays showed it was an excellent decision. Khalid Tavernier stepped up and sent the ball into the top corner over the dive by Bristol. It was a super penalty taking the score to 1-1 after 52 minutes.
However, parity didn’t last for long as Spring sprung the Eagles’ offside trap with a smart pass. Franklyn ran into area, appeared to lose control but then recovered, and was able to turn and put the ball past the upright keeper. 2-1 after 57 minutes.
Almost from the restart, the Predators won possession on half-way, Simmons finally played an incisive through ball putting Spring clear. The Predators’ captain rounded the keeper and put the ball into the net from a narrow angle. 3-1 with 58 minutes played.
The finally 30 minutes of the game followed a pattern of Eagles huffing and puffing but unable to create much in the way of good chances, whilst the Predators squandered several chances breaking through the Eagles defensive line.
In the 64th minute a lovely turn and pass by Mingot gave Spring the opportunity to run down the right wing, and although his cross into the penalty area was met by Franklyn, the volley went high over the bar from 10 yards.
Mingot then ran onto a ball down the right-hand touchline and played an inch perfect pass to tee-up Franklyn inside the Eagles’ area, but Wilkin made a good save to keep out the fierce drive.
After 74 minutes Mingot slipped again, but recovered to play a back-heel to put Simmonds clear, whose cross towards the far post pushed away by keeper, and Eagles were able to clear.
Calvar was able to deliver a free-kick into the Predators’ 6-yard box, and although keeper Bristol was unconvincing, the referee deemed he had been fouled and awarded a free-kick.
Predators should have added a fourth goal to their tally. Eagles again gave away the ball in defence and Joseph ran unopposed into the Eagles area. Rather than play a simple pass to give Franklyn a tap-in, he decided to chip the keeper, but the execution was awful and Wilkin grateful made the catch.
The last chance came three minutes from the scheduled end of the game, as Franklyn made a good run to just inside the Eagles area, but the left footed effort was well held by diving keeper.
Seven added minutes were played but the Predators comfortably maintained their two goal advantage to progress to the next round. Frankly, they should have won by a greater margin, and will probably need to be more clinical in their next game.
The game was played in a good spirit, and I can’t remember the last game watched when there wasn’t a yellow card !
North Leeward Predators : Bristol – Bentick, Williams, Chance, Durham – Simmons, Charles, Spring, Joseph – Franklyn, Mingot
SCSA Eagles : Wilkin – Wilson, Astrokarijo, Parker, Crooks –Tavernier, Homere, Calvar, Jones, Thompson – Jacob
No comments:
Post a Comment