St. Kitts and Nevis is set to see a significant boost in the quality of youth football coaching with the certification of 39 new coaches through the SKNFA Youth Coaches Training Program. In a ceremony held recently at the NBGC Technical Center in St. Peters, these coaches officially received their certificates, marking the completion of an intensive course designed to elevate the standard of coaching at the youth level.

SKNFA Technical Director Lenny Taylor, who played a pivotal role in the training, commended the newly certified coaches for their commitment and encouraged them to continue expanding their knowledge. "In coaching, as soon as you get cocky that you know it, that’s when you are going to hit your toe and fall on your face. It’s learning, learning, and more learning…get as much information as you can," Taylor advised. He emphasized that the ultimate beneficiaries of this education are the youth, who will now be guided not just to play the game, but to truly understand it.

The ceremony was also graced by SKNFA General Secretary Techell McClean, who spoke on behalf of SKNFA President Atiba Harris. She urged the coaches to take full advantage of the opportunities provided by the SKNFA to further their coaching education. "All coaches a part of the Concacaf region are to be certified," McClean said, noting that each league requires a certain level of coaching licenses. She reminded the coaches that the technical director remains available to assist those interested in advancing their qualifications.

The 39 newly certified coaches are a diverse group, each bringing their unique passion and skills to the field. Among them, Jhevon Hendrickson, Nequan Browne, and Jacquan Hazel were recognized for their outstanding dedication throughout the course. Tyquan Terrell and Shamaar Joseph demonstrated exceptional understanding of youth football dynamics, while Xalif Chapman and Jahmal Pitt were noted for their tactical acumen.

 Chevaun Matthew and Hakeem Huggins, along with De’Ashaan Hewlett and D’Jaun Warner, showed promise in developing strategic play among young athletes. Kaven Williams and Kassie Mardenborough, along with Yusuf Saunders and Alister Tuckett, are expected to contribute significantly to the youth football landscape with their fresh perspectives.

 Vinceroy Nelson and Kimlon Maynard, alongside Glenroy Buchanan and Ziquan Dorsett, were praised for their leadership qualities, which will be crucial in guiding young footballers. Other notable coaches include Calvert Dixon and Shakquan Hodge, who are set to make impactful contributions to their teams.

 The certification of these coaches represents a broader effort by the SKNFA to raise the standard of football in St. Kitts and Nevis, starting at the grassroots level. With the formal recognition of their skills, coaches like Clifford Brown, John Rowlands, and Sheldon Richards are now better equipped to foster the next generation of football talent in the nation.

 As the new coaches like Edward Henry, Lance Lewis, and Lydia Liburd begin their journey, they are joined by other promising individuals such as Dante Mardenborough, Shamika Caines, and Cedric Anthony. The group also includes Harold Wharton, Abasti Tyrell, and Shaquille Barzey, who are expected to lead by example in their respective communities.

 The certification ceremony was a proud moment for coaches like Julan Gordon, Deshaun Francis, and Jemari Trotman, who are eager to implement their newfound knowledge on the field. Antonius Archibald, MervonJae Pemberton, and Zajah Isaac round out the group of committed coaches ready to make a lasting impact on youth football in St. Kitts and Nevis.

 With these 39 newly certified coaches, the future of football in St. Kitts and Nevis looks brighter than ever. Their contributions are anticipated to not only improve the standard of play but also to inspire a new generation of footballers to achieve greatness on and off the pitch.

Scouts from esteemed colleges, universities, and professional football teams in the United States and Mexico have descended upon St. Kitts for a three-day football player combine at the SKNFA Technical Centre in St. Peters. The SKNFA scouting showcase, which kicked off earlier this afternoon (29) aims to discover and assess young football prospects aged 17 to 22 for potential scholarships in the USA, while local players between the ages of 18 and 25 aspire to secure spots in professional teams.

Adding an international flair, players from French St. Martin joined the combine, highlighting the event's diverse reach. Herrera Raul, Head Coach of Richland College in Texas, expressed excitement about expanding and growing talent on an international scale, emphasizing the significant growth of the game in US colleges and universities.

Clemeinein Oancea, a scout for Waxahachie Southwestern Assemblies of God University, shared his enthusiasm for evaluating the talent in St. Kitts and commended the efforts of SKNFA President Atiba Harris over the past two years.

Oscar Munoz of San Antonio FC anticipates encountering "fast players with new techniques," while Adam Kay of Louisiana State University (LSU) Shreveport is on the lookout for players ready to contribute immediately and those with long-term development potential.

Former Costa Rican International, Andy Herron, now with the Chicago Fire MLS team, expressed his belief in St. Kitts and Nevis as a breeding ground for football talent, eagerly awaiting the unfolding events over the next three days. Manolo Vega of Club Puebla in Mexico is keen on identifying local players for potential opportunities with their club, a sentiment echoed by M. Gonzalez of Club Necaxa.

Wayne Simmonds of Connecticut United expects a showcase of great athleticism, hunger, and excitement from the participating players.

 The scouts, representing Major League Soccer, USL, LIGA MX, and NCAA Division 1, 2, and 3 Colleges, watched a scrimmage with St. Kitts and Nevis U-20 national team players on Sunday evening at the Technical Center, offering a preview of the talent on display.

St. Kitts and Nevis will for the first time host the 2023 CONCACAF Caribbean Shield, a historic achievement for the tiny Caribbean nation. The tournament will run from August 3-13.

The CONCACAF Caribbean Shield, formerly known as the Caribbean Club Shield, is an annual Caribbean association football competition for clubs that are members of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU).

It is a second-tier competition to the CONCACAF Caribbean Cup and was introduced in 2018 for clubs which worked towards professional standards.

Until 2022, the winner of this competition, as long as it fulfills the licensing criteria, played against the fourth-placed team of the Caribbean Club Championship for the place in the CONCACAF League. As of 2023, the winner qualifies for the CONCACAF Caribbean Cup.

The Dominican Republic (2018), Curacao (2019, 2020*, 2021*) and Puerto Rico (2022) have been previous hosts. Through the efforts of President of the St Kitts and Nevis Football Association (SKNFA) Atiba Harris, St Kitts and Nevis will host the tournament for the first time.  The 2020 and 2021 tournaments were cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

 “This is indeed a historical moment for the SKNFA, our country in being confirmed as host of the 2023 Concacaf Caribbean Club Shield Tournament,” Harris said.

“The fact that Concacaf has entrusted us as hosts, shows the significant strides that we’ve made in less than two years in raising the standard of football in our country. I would like to extend best wishes to all participating clubs, in particular SL Horsford St. Paul’s United FC, who will be representing us as the defending champions of the SKNFA Premier Division.”

Newly appointed St Kitts and Nevis Football Association (SKNFA) Technical Advisor Claude Makélélé arrived in St. Kitts Saturday afternoon and was received by a high-level delegation at the KayanJet Lounge at the RLB International Airport.

The 50-year-old Makélélé, who as a defensive midfielder enjoyed a successful club career playing for French champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), LaLiga giants Real Madrid and many-time English Premier League champions, Chelsea, arrived on the island with his agent Sofiane Youssef.

They were welcomed by SKNFA President Atiba Harris, First Vice President Shawn White, Second Vice President Cuthbert Caines, and St. Kitts and Nevis Senior Men's National goalkeeper and captain, Julani Archibald.

The pair was also greeted by Prime Minister Dr. The Hon Terrance Drew, Sports Minister Samal Duggins, SKNFA Technical Director Lenny Taylor, SKNFA General Secretary Techell Mclean, Senior Men's National Team Manager Jamir Claxton and National Team Coach Austin Huggins.

 Makélélé, who was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, expressed his pleasure at being the new Technical Advisor.  “Football in this country is very important to me because I love this sport,” said the former player who was appointed technical mentor at Chelsea in 2019.

“It gave me many things in my life. It changed me and I want to give back.”

Prime Minister, the Honourable Dr. Drew, meanwhile, commended the SKNFA for taking this initiative of appointing Makélélé to this important role.

“This is the type of innovation, forward-thinking that we are looking for to develop sports,” Dr. Drew said. “I want to thank you for heeding the call from SKNFA to come to St. Kitts.”

The sports minister thanked SKNFA President Harris for the progress he has made in transforming football in St. Kitts and Nevis. Bringing Makélélé in as technical advisor is a step in the right direction. “We do not lack talent. We never did. We lacked the right training and expertise and to have a legend on our shores to impart his knowledge and experience, I think this is a step in the right direction,” the sports minister.

The man who was known as ‘The Octopus’ during his playing days because of his ability to cover ‘every blade of grass’ on a football field, has also served as an assistant manager at PSG and Swansea City and was a technical director at Monaco.

The Sugar Boyz are set to do battle against French St. Martin in Anguilla on March 23, after which they take on Aruba at Warner Park on March 27.

St. Kitts and Nevis Football Association (SKNFA) and La Liga club Cádiz C.F. announced a partnership on Thursday that will see young players from St. Kitts and Nevis getting professional and developmental opportunities at the Spanish club.

Cádiz (Cádiz Club de Fútbol, S.A.D.) is a Spanish professional football club based in Cádiz, Andalusia. Founded in 1910, the club competes in the La Liga, the Spanish top flight league where it hosts matches at Nuevo Mirandilla.

 The announcement of the potentially game-changing partnership was made at the Royal St. Kitts Hotel Conference Room where the President of the SKNFA Atiba Harris and the International Director of Football at Cádiz C.F., Enrique Martinez Perez, signed the agreement.

Also present at the signing was the First Vice President of the SKNFA Sean White, who is also the head of the SKNFA Marketing Committee.

Mr Harris said this opportunity will benefit both male and female youth players. He described the partnership as being significant as it will provide opportunities for local players pursuing pathways to professional careers.

“I think the dream for many of our players is to go to college or become professional footballers, so to formulate this agreement with Cadiz Football Club, a La Liga Club, it’s a realistic opportunity for our young players to have a realistic, standardized pathway to chase their dreams and become the next professional footballer or the many professional footballers in years to come,” said Mr. Harris, who incidentally signed his first professional contract with Cadiz almost two decades ago.

“Cadiz happened to be my first professional club. When I was 18 years old, I left the Federation to embark on a journey and today, 19 years later, we have an agreement that we are about to formulate with Cádiz Football Club and the SKNFA to make a standardized pathway for our youth players, to have a professional career possible.”

He added that the agreement would also help to raise the standard of football in St. Kitts and Nevis.

Meanwhile, Mr Martinez-Perez explained that under the agreement, Cadiz will take players from St Kitts and Nevis to Spain to provide them with opportunities.

“We will try to develop the talent we have here and they will have the opportunity in our club, Cadiz, to develop all their skills,” Martinez-Perez said.