'Grateful' Asha returns to national setup for Concacaf qualifier

Playmaker Asha James has returned to the Trinidad and Tobago women's football setup for their crucial Concacaf W Qualifier against El Salvador at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo on April 17. 

The 26-year-old James has been included in a 23-member squad selected by head coach Damian Briggs and is in line to play her first match for the national team since their opening qualifier away to Barbados on December 1, 2025. Over the past year or so, James has been quite vocal about issues concerning the national team, even calling out the TT Football Association (TTFA) for its perceived lack of preparedness ahead of these qualifiers. 

James stepped away from the team before their qualifier away to Honduras last month, but the Tobago-born player is back and ready to make an impact for the must-win clash with El Salvador. 

"I'm grateful for the opportunity to be back with the national team for our final group match against El Salvador," James said. 

TT women's team midfielder Asha James. Photo courtesy James' Facebook page 

"We understand what's on the line, and there's a strong belief within the squad that we can get the job done and finish top of the group to move on in the World Cup qualifiers," the talented midfielder said. "It won't be easy, but we're ready for the battle." 

James aside, Briggs has drafted in four other players for next week's match, as Summer Arjoon, Nia Hislop, Sonia Lamarre, and California State University defender Sakiah Williams have also been included in the squad. Arjoon is a tidy, ball-playing central midfielder. Hislop is a forward at the University of Massachusetts and the daughter of legendary TT goalkeeper Shaka Hislop, while the 19-year-old Lamarre impressed for TT's under-20 unit at the Jewels of the Caribbean tournament in December. 

While Briggs will be happy to have the services of James once again, France-based left back Kedie Johnson will be a big miss to the squad. The impressive flanker has been ruled out after failing to recover from a concussion she suffered while playing with AS Saint-Etienne. Saudi Arabia-based midfielder Maria-Frances Serrant remains a high-profile absentee. Among the team's regulars are veteran forward Kennya Cordner, Liana Hinds, Aaliyah Prince, Victoria Swift, and teenage star Nikita Gosine, who rescued a 2-2 draw for TT against Honduras with a late penalty. 

TT women's football team coach Damian Briggs (C) speaks to the media at the launch of his team's Concacaf W Qualifier against El Salvador. The launch was held at SIP on the Ave, Ariapita Avenue, on April 2. Photo courtesy TTFA

The task for Briggs' team is a straightforward one, as they must defeat group F leaders El Salvador (six points) in order to advance to the Concacaf W Championship, the final qualifying tourney for the 2027 Fifa Women's World Cup. TT are second in the four-team group on four points. El Salvador blanked Honduras 3-0 in their first match, before hammering Barbados 13-0 last month. Meanwhile, TT opened their campaign with a 5-0 victory over the Bajans, before earning a comeback draw against Honduras to stay alive in the qualifiers. 

As he takes his team into a camp this weekend, Briggs cuts a confident figure. 

"We've selected what we believe is the best possible squad at this time," Briggs told TTFA Media. "There are a few additions who will bring added depth, along with some experienced players returning to the group." 

The match will kick off at 6 pm on April 17, with gates open from 5 pm. Uncovered tickets are priced at $60 (single) and $100 (two-on-one special), with covered tickets priced at $120. 

TT women's team for Concacaf W Qualifier with El Salvador: 

Goalkeepers: Malaika Dedier, Simone Eligon, Akyla Walcott. 

Defenders: Kaitlyn Darwent, Javanah Moreno, Emma Schneider, Myla Schneider, Cicely Spencer Wickham, Victoria Swift, Christa Waterman, Sakiah Williams. 

Midfielders: Summer Arjoon, Ariana Borneo, Elise Franco, Nikita Gosine, Liana Hinds, Asha James, Sonia Lamarre.  

Forwards: Alexcia Ali, Kennya Cordner, Nia Hislop, Aaliyah Prince, Gabrielle Williams. 

TT women's football team squad for the Concacaf W Qualifier against El Salvador on April 17. Photo courtesy TTFA

Rio Cardines signs contract extension with Crystal Palace

Trinidad and Tobago men's team full-back Rio Cardines has signed a contract extension with English Premier League club Crystal Palace. The extension was confirmed earlier today by Palace, with the 19-year-old Cardines now having a deal which runs until June 2028. 

The Stevenage-born Cardines has been a regular in the red, white, and black since featuring for coach Shawn Cooper's national under-17 team in 2023. He then went on to represent TT at the under-20 level before making his senior team debut in the Unity Cup in May 2025 under former coach Dwight Yorke. 

Trinidad and Tobago defender Rio Cardines proudly holds his Crystal Palace jersey aloft. Photo courtesy Crystal Palace

The feisty Palace right back played all three matches at the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup, and played the first four matches for TT in the final round of qualifying towards the 2026 Fifa World Cup. More recently, Cardines turned out for TT at the Fifa Series in Uzbekistan last month, as interim coach Derek King's team lost to both Venezuela and Gabon. In the latter match against Gabon, Cardines played a hand in the two goals scored by captain Levi Garcia with a pair of delightful set pieces. Both Cardines and Garcia, however, missed from the spot as Gabon won 3-2 via a penalty shootout after a 2-2 stalemate in regulation time. 

Rio Cardines lines up a set piece against Gabon in their Fifa Series encounter on March 30. Photo courtesy TTFA

Having joined Palace at 16 in 2022, Cardines signed his professional contract with the London-based club in 2024. He made 20 appearances for Palace's under-21 team in the 2024/25 season, with his long-awaited first-team debut coming in October 2025 in a UEFA Conference League clash away to Dynamo Kyiv. Cardines is yet to feature in the Premier League for Palace, but did make a substitute appearance against league holders Liverpool in an EFL Cup match back in October. 

Cardines is delighted to extend his contract with Palace as he hunts for more playing time with the first team. 

"I'm proud and excited to extend my contract here. I'm looking forward to the future and hopefully getting more first-team minutes and continuing to kick on," Cardines said. 

Meanwhile, the club's academy director, Gary Issott, said Cardines has gone from strength to strength and he expects him to continue making strides beyond the current campaign. 

'Zum Zum' punishes sloppy AC, bags another TTPFL hat-trick

For the second time in a fortnight, Trinidad and Tobago men's under-20 football captain Derrel "Zum Zum" Garcia netted a hat-trick at the Phase 2 La Horquetta recreation ground to lead his San Juan Jabloteh team to victory in the TT Premier Football League (TTPFL). 

On March 6, Garcia opened his account for the season with a treble in a 5-0 win over 1976 FC Phoenix. Last night, the 19-year-old Garcia was at it again, as he netted a 14-minute hat-trick in the second half and took advantage of some calamitous defending by AC Port of Spain. The scores were tied at 1-1 at the half, with Garcia's second-half burst helping the sixth-placed Jabloteh (33 points) to a facile 4-1 win over the fifth-placed AC PoS (37 points). 

Funny enough, Garcia was involved in all five goals in the match, as both teams showed a fair level of generosity. In the fifth minute, it was a loose touch from Garcia, which led to the opener for AC PoS, as the youngster cheaply gave away possession in his own half with a heavy first touch. AC PoS worked the ball out right before midfielder Anthony Charles dug out a cross from the byline for flanker Josiah Wilson to slap in at the back stick. 

Just three minutes later, Jabloteh were back on level terms as Andell Fraser cut in on his right foot just inside the area to unleash a devious shot into the top corner and past Marvin Phillip after being picked out by Garcia. 

San Juan Jabloteh's Derrel "Zum Zum" Garcia (left) gives AC Port of Spain's Josiah Wilson the slip during a TTPFL match last season. Photo courtesy TTPFL

Not taking anything away from Garcia's hat-trick, but it's unlikely that he'll score three easier goals for the length of his TTPFL career. For his sake, hopefully, the TTPFL is a stepping stone for bigger things. 

Garcia's first came in the 64th minute as AC PoS central defender Robert Primus played a needless pass into his own box after cutting out a run from winger Jaheim Faustin. Garcia took some time to size up Phillip before passing a right footer a few inches to the keeper's left. 

If the first AC PoS mistake wasn't enough, Charles laid the ball on a platter for Garcia in the 76th minute as he tried to find a teammate with a blind back pass. The goal could be deemed as a breakdown in structure and communication from AC PoS, as left back Jelani Peters and the left centre back Primus were both pushed up in the opposition's half for a right-side throw. With Charles being pressed inside the opposition half, he played a pass where he expected a teammate to be. With the other centre back, Daneil Cyrus, also a couple of steps into the Jabloteh half, Charles' pass turned out to be perfect for Garcia, who slotted away to Phillip's right this time. 

Derrel "Zum Zum" Garcia (left) is congratulated by national under-20 teammate Phillip Nelson during a friendly earlier this year. Photo courtesy TTFA

Garcia's hat-trick came in the 78th minute, and on this occasion, he was assisted by somebody in green, Caden Trestrail. Again, AC PoS kept a relatively high line, which Trestrail and Garcia exploited as the latter rounded Phillip to slide into the net and put the exclamation point on the result. 

From 8 pm today, the second-placed Club Sando (45 points) can stall Defence Force's possible victory lap for another match day if they defeat Caledonia AIA in their matchup at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva. The Army/Coast Guard combination lead the 12-team table with 49 points and have the solitary match left in the league season. Meanwhile, Sando have two matches left and can enter the final match day with their title aspirations still intact if they can get a win over the ninth-placed "Cale." 

Should Sando taste defeat today, the Army will be crowned TTPFL tier one champions for the third time in four seasons. 

Jereem starts Trinidad and Tobago's campaign at World Indoors

Former World Indoor 400-metre champ Jereem Richards will speed off this country's campaign at the 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Poland when he faces the starter in heat one of the men's 400m event from 6.56 am (TT time) tomorrow (March 20). 

The 32-year-old Richards will line up in lane six, with Slovenia's Lovro Mesec Kosir in lane three, Portugal's Ericsson Tavares in lane four, and Brazil's Matheus Lima in lane five. There will be six 400m heats in all, with the first two in each heat automatically moving onto the semifinals. The next four-fastest runners from the heats will also progress to the semis. Ranked number six in the world, Richards' season's best of 45.56 seconds is only bettered by Lima (45.54) in heat one.  

Of course, at last year's World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan, Richards claimed silver in the 400m final in a national record time of 43.72, just dipping below the 43.78 time he clocked to finish an agonising fourth at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Fondly known as "The Dream," the Point Fortin native will certainly be visualising more success on the horizon. 

Trinidad and Tobago track and field stars Keshorn Walcott and Jereem Richards show off their respective 2025 World Athletics Championships gold and silver medals at a welcome reception at the Piarco International Airport on September 22, 2025. 

The 400m semis will run off at 3.44 pm (TT time) tomorrow, with the final set for 1.34 pm (TT time) on March 21. 

Richards will not be the only Trinidad and Tobago athlete in action on the opening day of competition, as 21-year-old Nathan Cumberbatch will line up in heat four of the men's 800m event from 8.42 am (TT time) tomorrow. A total of six 800m heats will be contested, with the top two in each heat moving directly to the semis. The six next-fastest runners will also progress to the semis, which will run off from 8.08 am (TT time) on March 21. 

Also on March 21, rising sprint queen Leah Bertrand will face the starter in the women's 60m heats, which speed off from 6.05 am (TT time). Meanwhile, from 5.20 am (TT time) on March 22, Tyra Gittens-Spotsville will contest the women's long jump final. 

The Trinidad and Tobago contingent at the 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Poland. Photo courtesy NAAATT's Facebook page 

Army lose to Sando, TTPFL lead cut to one point

TT Premier Football League (TTPFL) holders Defence Force (46 points) saw their lead atop the 2025/26 standings cut to one point tonight, as they lost 2-1 to the second-placed Club Sando (45 points) at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo. 

With a victory, the Army/Coast Guard combination would have lifted the TTPFL tier one trophy with two games to spare. However, coach Devorn Jorsling's team never really hit top gear against Sando, with their performance instead mirroring their display in a 1-0 loss to Miscellaneous Police FC on the weekend. 

Ultimately, two defensive blunders from two experienced heads proved to be Defence Force's demise on the night, as the pair of Isaiah Garcia and Sheldon Bateau were culpable for the goals conceded. Starting the game in an unfamiliar centre back role, Garcia cheaply gave away possession in the third minute, before compounding the matter by clumsily bringing down the speedy Tarik Lee in the penalty area. Sando central midfielder Luke Phillips, arguably the best player on the night, calmly placed his left-footed penalty past goalkeeper Isaiah Williams to give Sando the 1-0 lead. 

In the 29th minute, it was Lee's turn to profit from an error, as he picked off a loose clearance from Bateau, who tried to deal with a lofted ball from Sando skipper Shervohnez Hamilton. Lee made no mistake with the gift and easily shot the ball past Williams and into the bottom corner. 

Club Sando central midfielder Luke Phillips celebrates his team's opening goal against Defence Force on March 18. Photo courtesy Club Sando's Instagram page

Bateau's woes didn't end there, as the central defender was shown a straight red by referee Andrew Samuel in the 85th minute for a dangerous high challenge near the half-line. At that stage, it was all hands on deck for Defence Force, who had received a lifeline deep into first-half stoppage-time from attacker Kathon St Hillaire. 

With his team desperately looking for answers and some inspiration, St Hillaire poked past goalie Teshorne Ragoo from close range after midfielder Justin Sadoo picked him out with a pass which just eluded a lunging Elton John. It was one of the rare moments Defence Force got behind an otherwise stubborn Sando backline. 

The Army did have their chances to get an equaliser, particularly in the early stages of the second half, but St Hillaire, neither the playmaking pair of Joevin Jones and Kevin Molino could find the magic touch their team needed. At the other end, Williams was doing his best to keep his team in the match, as he palmed away a firm drive from Phillips, while also cutting out a dangerous, low cross from Hamilton. Before Bateau was sent for an early shower, he too played his part in keeping Sando at bay as he put in an acrobatic block to stop a volley from Hamilton in the 68th minute. 

Club Sando land a big TTPFL victory over Defence Force. 

With the ten-man Army knowing that a draw would keep them four points ahead of Sando, they threw bodies forward. In the seventh minute of second-half stoppage-time, a window of opportunity appeared to be opening for substitute Tyrese Bailey at the back stick, but the ever-present Phillips made a brilliant challenge before the former could get his shot away. 

In the first game of the Hasely Crawford double-header, Prisons FC (41 points) moved up to third on the 12-team table when they came from behind to beat San Juan Jabloteh (30 points) 2-1. 

On March 20, Defence Force will hope to put their untimely skid to bed when they play Eagles. Meanwhile, on March 21, Club Sando will tackle Caledonia AIA as they aim to keep their own title aspirations alive.