The Barbados Football Association (BFA) has officially named its National Senior Men’s Squad for the upcoming 2024/25 CONCACAF Nations League C campaign. The 23-man squad, alongside the management team, is set to travel to St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands this Thursday as they prepare for their opening matches.

Head Coach Kent Hall has expressed optimism about the team's development, building on the groundwork laid during the 2023 World Cup Qualifiers and has chosen to blend experience with fresh talent as he looks to revitalize the squad following a challenging period. 

Notably absent from the squad are Weymouth Wales’ Nadre Butcher and Elijah Downey, along with Tajio James and Akeem Hill. The squad will also be without the services of Thierry Gale, who is still recovering from an ACL injury sustained in February. Hall emphasized the importance of fitness and readiness for the physical demands of international football as key factors behind the selection of the new-look squad.

In goal, Nicoli Brathwaite will take the lead, providing a solid foundation for the team’s defense. In defense, the likes of Andre Applewhaite, who will captain the side, along with Ackeel Applewhaite, Sheran Hoyte, and Shay Prescod, are expected to form a formidable backline. These players will be joined by Khimani Cox and Nathan Walters, offering further defensive strength.

 Midfield duties will be handled by experienced players such as Hadan Holligan and Jireh Malcolm, who will work alongside younger talents like Nathan Sealy and Justin Griffith. Hall’s midfield selection highlights a blend of creativity, dynamism, and control, which will be essential in executing the team’s game plan.

 In attack, the team will look to the pace and precision of players like Ricardio Morris and Ethan Taylor, both of whom have proven their goal-scoring capabilities. Khalil Vanderpool-Nurse and Mario Williams are expected to add further depth to the attacking options, ensuring Barbados can compete at the highest level in their matches against The Bahamas and the US Virgin Islands.

Former Barbados midfielder, Kent Hall, has taken over as head coach of the Barbados senior men’s national football team, the Barbados Football Association announced on Thursday.

The 45-year-old represented Barbados in 17 matches from 2003-2006 and previously served as an assistant coach for the national team as well as head coach of the Under-20 team.

Hall takes over from BFA technical director and former Wigan Athletic and Crystal Palace defender Emmerson Boyce, who also made 12 appearances for the Bajan Tridents.

Boyce took charge of the final two matches of Barbados’ 2023–2024 Concacaf Nations League campaign versus Montserrat and Nicaragua.

They lost 0-4 to Nicaragua at home on November 17 before being beaten 4-2 in Montserrat on November 20.

The Tridents are gearing up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Curacao on Wednesday, June 5, 2024 and Sunday, June 9, 2024.

They have been drawn in Group A of League C of the 2024/2025 Concacaf Nations League and will take on Bahamas and US Virgin Islands in September.

Omari Eastmond is gearing up for an energetic campaign to unseat Randy Harris in the Barbados Football Association (BFA) presidential race and reshape the sport’s leadership on the island.

Eastmond, a former goalkeeper for the Bajan Tridents, is the lone contender against Harris, who has been at the helm since 2012, and he has been actively seeking support from affiliated clubs and prominent figures in the sport, since declaring his candidacy for the April 7 election.

Eastmond plans to launch a series of events using various communication platforms to connect with the football community and key stakeholders.

“I’ve received tremendous backing, although not all of it is public. Many people have reached out to me,” Eastmond told Barbados Today.

“It’s crucial to convey my message because we’re in dire need of change. I can’t identify with any plans for the development of football in Barbados. We’re not in a good place at the moment. There was a time when Barbados’ rivals were Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba; now even Montserrat beating us. This can’t be the direction anyone would want to see football in Barbados,” he added, as the Tridents were recently relegated to League C of the Concacaf Nations League.

Eastmond believes that his candidacy represents a call for transformative leadership within the BFA, centred on strategic planning, financial accountability, and grassroots development, with the ultimate aim of revitalizing Barbadian football on both national and international stages.

As such, he intends to share his vision with football stakeholders leading up to the election, as he reaffirmed his commitment to fostering improved communication between clubs and ensuring transparency in the allocation of FIFA funds.

Drawing comparisons with successful football programmes in neighbouring Caribbean nations, Eastmond stressed the importance of prudent financial management and strategic planning.

“We just need to manage our money properly, and we’re not seeking advice from persons who are smart enough to tell the BFA how the money is best spent,” Eastmond noted.