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Friday, March 29, 2024

World Down Syndrome Day

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Belize shut out in first two matches at UNCAF U-20 qualifiers

SportsBelize shut out in first two matches at UNCAF U-20 qualifiers

The Belize National U-20 squad is yet to score a goal, having lost its first two games at the Central American U-20 qualifiers in El Salvador on Thursday of last week and this afternoon, respectively. On Thursday, we lost to host country El Salvador by a 6-0 margin; and today, we lost to Nicaragua, 4-0. Do you know the members of our National U-20? Have you seen them play?

Belize plays Panama on Wednesday, Honduras on Friday, Costa Rica on Sunday, and Guatemala on Tuesday. Nicaragua was considered our weakest opponent, so it doesn’t look good for our boys.

While the rest of Central America was focusing on preparing their national teams for this major event, we were expending much energy and limited resources on Grassroots football and two years of an open interdistrict/President’s Cup tourney.

Our youths are overmatched, but we can only pray for them to have the strength to keep on giving their all. We are to blame for not preparing them well.

Our National “A” Team has not yet been called up, and the Copa Centroamericana, the qualifier for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, takes place in the U.S. from September 3-13. This is scary; our boys will put up a fight, as they always do. We can’t pull out now.

The past FFB President must be smiling, but he had a hand in the financial hurdles distressing the present administration. Nevertheless, that was still no excuse for not giving the promised priority to the youth national competitions.

Where the Champions League and the Belmopan Bandits are concerned, the same rule applies. Coach Leroy Serrier Lewis is reportedly long gone back to Costa Rica, dissatisfied with the efforts made to carry out the steps he recommended to get the team ready for the level of competition it will face in Champions League.

In Belize City, for sure, football is in shambles. The MCC has been closed since June 2, and all that has been done there is some loads of sand and bagasse were spread over the surface of the field. Nothing else was done to the infrastructure, and the planted grass has mostly died for lack of watering.

Our season of national celebrations will be severely tested by our football challenges up ahead.

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