Caribbean hopefuls Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti kept their dreams of reaching the FIFA Under-17 Men’s World Cup alive, as both teams registered crucial victories in the Concacaf qualifiers on Thursday.

Trinidad and Tobago demolished Sint Maarten 9-0 to move within striking distance of the top spot in Group B, while group leaders and tournament favourites Costa Rica stumbled in a 2-2 draw against Guyana.

Meanwhile, Haiti maintained their dominance in Group E with a comfortable 3-0 win over Antigua and Barbuda, ensuring they stayed ahead of Guatemala, who also picked up a 5-0 win over Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Trinidad and Tobago showcased their firepower with a ruthless thrashing of Sint Maarten at Estadio Nacional in San José, Costa Rica.

Josiah Kallicharan was the star of the show, netting a hat-trick with goals in the 36th, 49th, and 73rd. His first came from a clever delivery by Adam Pierre, and he added two more clinical finishes to complete his treble.

Sheridan McNish tapped in a rebound in the 43rd to extend the lead before the floodgates opened in the closing minutes. Pierre (85th), Timothy Valentine (86th), Criston Gomez (88th), Caden Trestrail (90+1), and Nikosi Foncette (90+6) each found the net in a late goal rush, sealing the emphatic victory.

In the other Group B clash, Guyana produced a stunning performance to hold favourites Costa Rica in a stalemate that threw the race for the top spot wide open.

Costa Rica took the lead in the very first minute through an own goal by Max Robinson, but Guyana responded through Joshua Morris, who headed home a corner in the 38th.

Los Ticos regained the advantage just before halftime thanks to a perfectly placed free kick from Marcus Brown in the 43rd. However, the Golden Jaguars struck back once more in the 54th when Shaquan David powered in another header from a corner to earn a share of the spoils.

The results see both Costa Rica and Trinidad and Tobago are locked on seven points each, with the former holding pole by virtue of a superior goal difference. As such, Shawn Cooper’s young Soca Warriors will have to win Sunday’s top-of-the-table clash to secure a World Cup berth.

Over in Group E, Haiti cemented their place at the top of Group E with a composed victory over Antigua and Barbuda at Estadio Cementos Progreso in Guatemala City.

All three of Haiti’s goals came from the penalty spot, as Franco Celestin opened the scoring in the 14th, before Emerson Laissé converted twice, once in the 34th and again in the 82nd, to secure the points.

In the feature contest, Guatemala hammered Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to keep pace with Haiti.

Andrés García set the tone with an opener in the 14th, while Marvin Ávila doubled the lead in first-half stoppage time before heading in his second in the 66th.

Javier Celis (67th) and Claudio de Oliveira (82nd) rounded off the scoring.

With the results, Haiti and Guatemala sit level on six points each, but the French-speaking Caribbean nation hold a two-goal advantage heading into their decisive top-of-the-table contest on Sunday.

Meanwhile, in Group A, Canada took sole possession of first place with a commanding 7-1 victory over Curaçao at the National Sports Centre in Devonshire Parish, Bermuda.

Marius Aiyenero netted a hat-trick with goals in the 27th, 45+3, and 47th, while Kevin Khan also scored twice (32nd, 64th). Shola Jimoh (54th) and Aidan Evans (88th) rounded out the rout, as Canada moved to nine points and are well on their way to the World Cup.

Curaçao’s lone goal came from a Jerremy Ortela penalty in the 45+1.

In the feature contest, hosts Bermuda continued their decent campaign with a 5-0 win over the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Kalen Brunson starred with a hat-trick (7th, 27th, 54th), while Logan Jimenez (74th) and Harlem Bean Fox (90+2) added headers from set pieces to complete the comprehensive victory.

With the win, Bermuda sit on six points, three behind Canada, who also hold a healthy 18-goal advantage. Bermuda will have to pull off an unlikely win by a very wide margin to overtake their North American counterparts when the two meet on Sunday.

Elsewhere in Group C, Nicaragua downed Dominica 4-1 to strengthen their position in Group C at the Mexican Football Federation headquarters in Toluca.

Juban Uriarte (39th pen), Leandro Padilla (47th), Ian Parrales (54th), and Diego Gutiérrez (67th) netted for Nicaragua, while Darius Gasper (60th) scored Dominica’s first goal of the tournament.

The other group contest saw Mexico cruise past Barbados 6-0 with a clinical display, also at the Toluca headquarters.

Viggo Ortiz opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 34th, and further goals from Saulo Tejeda (40th), Juan Rangel (52nd), Aldo de Nigris (69th, 82nd), and Máximo Reyes (73rd) sealed an emphatic win for El Tri.

Both Mexico and Nicaragua sit on nine points each, with the former holding the coveted top position by virtue of a superior goal difference.

-Photos: Concacaf Media