After a winless World Cup qualifying campaign last year, embattled head coach Colin “Potato” Forde will be hoping for a victorious start to Barbados’ bid for Group 4 honours in the rebranded Caribbean Football Union’s (CFU) Cup, formerly sponsored by Digicel.
The new look Barbados senior national team face Dominica in the feature match of today’s double-header at 8 p.m. at Kensington Oval.
Aruba and the Dominican Republic will now meet in the opening match at 6 p.m. after the regional governing body informed the Barbados Football Association (BFA) yesterday that it had not approved a change to the original fixtures.
It had been announced at a BFA Press conference last Wednesday that Barbados would have played the 158th-ranked Aruba in the feature match on the opening night.
Barbados, with a lowly world ranking of 175, now face opponents who are ranked just one place above them.
Whereas the overall record is in Barbados’ favour with six wins, a draw and two losses in nine matches, it is significant that those two defeats came in the last two encounters in September 2010 on consecutive days, and on home soil at the National Stadium.
But Forde isn’t overly worried about the change in teams for the opener.
“We still have to play all three teams, so it doesn’t matter if we play Aruba or Dominica, we still have to approach the matches positively, set our game plan carefully and then execute well and get the three points,” Forde said.
This time around, the venue will be Kensington Oval, where the Bajan Tridents ousted the Dominicans 1-0 in 2008 qualifiers from the 2010 World Cup, through a strike by Dwayne Stanford, who is a notable omission from the 20-man squad named yesterday, along with midfielder Curtis Odle.
With Stanford excluded, BDF’s impressive marksman Mario Harte and Dayrells Road’s powerfully-built striker Tristan “Fishy” Parris should start up front, with 18-year-old Weymouth Wales’ front man Kemar Headley likely to replace the injured Carl Joseph (ankle) on the left flank.
Other striking options are rookie 20-year-olds Armando Lashley and Kyle Gibson.
New captain Jeffrey Williams, Malcolm “Buju” Marshall, the diminutive Ranaldo Marques and the promising Raheim Sargeant will shoulder the midfield responsibilities.
Whereas Joseph has been sidelined for tonight’s game, experienced defender Rommel Burgess (groin) and young striker Jamal Chandler (ankle) have been ruled out for all three Group matches.
In Burgess’ absence, national Under-20 captain Ricardio Morris will join the towering Barry Skeete in the centre of the defence with Andre Bourne and the experienced Ramuel Miller as wing backs.
Somewhat surprisingly, national Under-17 captain Ramar Millar, a 16-year-old defender and his deputy, 15-year-old midfielder Sebastian Hunte, have been drafted into the squad to replace Burgess and Chandler.
This game is crucial in setting the tone for a turnaround in Barbados’ football fortunes.
Since Forde took over as head coach last year, Barbados have suffered nine losses while drawing three games and logging a lone victory – by a 4-0 margin – against St Lucia in a friendly international.
In the last eight matches, there have been seven losses, including double defeats to Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and Bermuda during the unsuccessful campaign for the 2014 World Cup.
Barbados’ only meaningful tune-up before the CFU Cup has been two away friendlies against St Vincent and the Grenadines at the start of the month.
The results were nothing to do a song and dance about as they lost 0-2 and drew 1-1 with Williams scoring Barbados’ lone goal in the two matches.
Forde admitted “the results have not been favourable” for the team, which is going through a rebuilding phase with the retirement of former captains John “Nobby” Parris and Norman Forde.
“I’m hoping that this side, which is a new one, could really settle down, play good football and perform well and that the Bajan public support us. It is a team that can get the results for us and move us from that low position that we are presently in,” Forde said.
Nearly all of Barbados’ players would’ve had a taste of action on the spacious Kensington outfield during the opening round of the LIME Pelican Challenge and with a couple of training sessions there, they should be familiar with the turf, which is much different to what they are accustomed to at the National Stadium.
Several familiar faces from the Dominican sides of 2008 and 2010, including goalkeeper Glenson Prince, Collin Bernard, Shern Dailey, Dalebert Dailey, Lester Langlais and striker Kurlson Benjamin, will again lead the challenge for the visitors.
Squads:
Barbados – Jason Boxhill, Kerry Holder (goalkeepers); Barry Skeete, Jomo Brathwaite, Ramar Millar, Ramuel Miller, Ricardio Morris, Jason Lovell, Andre Bourne, Carl Joseph, Rashida Jeffrey Williams, Ranaldo Marques, Raheim Sargeant, Malcolm Marshall, Mario Harte, Tristan Parris, Armando Lashley, Sebastian Hunte, Kemar Headley, Kyle Gibson. Officials: Julian Broomes (technical director), Fabian Wharton (manager), Terry Sealy (assistant manager), Colin Forde (coach), Randolph Cox (assistant coach), Enreco Ramsay (medic), Antonio Brandford (equipment manager), Russell Hopper (goalkeeping coach).
Dominica – Glenson Prince, Owine Oscar, Collin Bernard, Hubert Prince, Elmond Derrick, Delbert Dailey, Shern Dailey, Prince Austrie, Carlvin Christopher, Malcolm Joseph, Joel Etienne Clark, Eddie Thomas, Kelrick Walter, Glenworth Elizee, Don Micthel, Chad Bertrand, Kurlson Benjamin, Lester Langlais, Andy St Rose.
