The Sugar Boys will be competing in two World Cup qualifiers during the FIFA international break from March 21-March 30. The first match will be on March 24, in the Dominican Republic against Puerto Rico and the second on March 27 against the Bahamas in that country.
General Secretary of the SKNFA Stanley Jacobs said due to COVID-19 restrictions, the home matches in St. Kitts and Nevis had to be moved to the Dominican Republic as that country has more relaxed COVID measures. The same goes for the Bahamas, hence why the matches are being held in both countries.
“This decision was made by St. Kitts and Nevis Football Association to ensure that the senior men’s team has the best possible opportunity to win these two games; taking into consideration everything that is going on, not just the COVID-19 restrictions but also having our best players available,” Mr. Jacobs said.
He noted that there will be sufficient testing of the players and technical team that will be traveling to these matches. “It has been a long planning process taking into consideration the strict COVID-19 protocols of FIFA’s return to football…to ensure that there is continuous testing from the point of departures from the home country,” he said. Testing will be required prior to matches, after the matches, and before returning home to St. Kitts and Nevis, the SKNFA General Secretary disclosed. “At the SKNFA we are in the process of putting together our COVID-19 risk assessment and also our COVID-19 risk mitigation strategy and this is the strategy that the national team will employ as it competes in these very important matches,” Jacobs added.
The SKNFA has been working closely with Concacaf and FIFA to ensure that the hosting of the matches adheres to the FIFA International Match Protocols. A 23 man squad for St. Kitts and Nevis has been released. These are:
Jelani Archibald
Zaykeese Smith
Clifford Samuel
Lois Maynard
Andre Burley
Raheem Francis
Denis Fleming
Ordell Flemming
Ezrick Nichols
Raheem Hanley
Gerard Williams
Theo Wharton
Raheem Somersall
Yohannes Mitchum
Romaine Sawyers
Harrison Panayiotou
Tishan Hanley
Omari Sterlin James
Vinceroy Nelson
Kimaree Rogers
Rowan Liburd
Keithroy Freeman
Tahir Hanley
Head Coach: Leonard Neiva
Asst. Coach: George Isaac
GK Coach: Gerhard Benthin
Trainer: Kenneth Douglas
Physio: Alister James
Kitmen: Leroy Sweeney & Roger Hendricks
Doctor: Carlton Williams
Manager: Jamir Claxton
HOD: Don Grant