MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica, CMC – Traditional powerhouses Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago will clash in the first round of next year’s CONCACAF Under-17 Championship here.
Wednesday’s draw held at the Rose Hall Resort brought together the two perennial rivals in Group B which also includes Guatemala. The tournament, a qualifier for next year’s FIFA Under-17 World Cup, will run from February 14-27.
“I think it’s an excellent draw. We have done fairly well against Jamaica at this level and the tour to Colombia would have prepared us for the Spanish-speaking teams,” said T&T head coach Shawn Cooper.
“We have been invited to return to Colombia in January and this could turn out to be another valuable training camp for us before we head to Jamaica.”
The other English-speaking Caribbean side in the competition, Barbados, have been drawn alongside Canada and Honduras in a tough Group D. Group A will see Costa Rica, El Salvador and Haiti clashing while Group B brings together the United States, Panama and Cuba.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarter-finals scheduled for February 22-23, with the final four meeting slated for February 25.
All four semi-finalists will join hosts Mexico in the Under-17 World Cup from June 18 to July 10 next year.
