Photo: NewsRoom
Defending champions Chase’s Academic Foundation secured their place in the semi-finals of the KFC International School Football Tournament, maintaining an unbeaten run despite a dramatic final group-stage encounter against Jamaica’s Kingston College.
The semi-final line-up has now been confirmed ahead of Friday’s matches at the Ministry of Education Ground, with Chase set to face Suriname’s Nikiere Technical (STSN), while St Benedict’s College of Trinidad and Tobago will meet Kingston College in the other last-four fixture. The first semi-final will kick off at 18:00.
In the standout match of the final group day, Chase produced a resilient performance to claim a 3–2 victory over Kingston College on Wednesday. The defending champions were reduced to ten players just ten minutes into the contest when leading scorer Bryan Wharton was shown a straight red card. Tournament organisers later confirmed that Wharton will be suspended for Friday’s semi-final under competition regulations.
Kingston College initially took advantage of their numerical superiority, opening a two-goal lead through Shaquon Elliot (16’) and Riley Kevwaroo (57’). However, Chase responded strongly in the second half. Nyron Barrow pulled a goal back in the 60th minute before Mark Glasgow levelled the score with ten minutes remaining. The comeback was completed in stoppage time when Shaquan David scored the decisive goal to ensure Chase finished top of Group A.
In Group B, St Benedict’s College continued their perfect campaign with a hard-fought 1–0 win over Brazil’s José Vieira de Sales Guerra State School. The match was a physical contest, with four yellow cards shown to the Trinidadian side, before Josiah Barrow struck the winning goal in the 76th minute. Barrow was later named Player of the Match, receiving his award from national footballer Curtez Kellman.
Despite the defeat, the Brazilian school missed out on the knockout stages as Nikiere Technical (STSN) booked their place in the semi-finals with an emphatic 9–3 victory over Annai Secondary. Jizzreel Sedoc was the standout performer for the Surinamese side, scoring a clinical hat-trick.
Elsewhere, West Ruimveldt Secondary concluded their tournament with a commanding 15–1 win over Anglican Central Education Authority Select (ACEA) from the Bahamas. Donnavan Welcome and Jeremiah Griffith both netted four goals in the one-sided encounter.
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