_{Photo: Belize National Female Under-16 Team – Belize Baby Jaguars}

by William Ysaguirre

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, Tues. Nov. 12, 2024

Holy Ghost’s Shanalee Smith, national primary schools football MVP, was the Jaguars’ top goleadora, scoring 2 goals in the Baby Jaguars’ otherwise lackluster participation in the FIFA Forward Under-16 championship organized by the Central American Football Union (UNCAF) in Managua, Nicaragua from November 6-12.

The Baby Jaguars debuted with a 2-1 loss to Nicaragua last Wednesday, November 6, despite Shanalee Smith’s 67th minute equalizer. Marcelie Mar stole the ball from Nicaragua, and forwarded a pass to Betsy Perez, whose shot from inside the box was too much for the pinoleras’ goalkeeper to hold. Shanalee recovered the rebound and blasted it into the net.

_{Photo: Shanalee Smith scores Belize Jaguars’ first goal vs Nicaragua}

The Baby Jaguars also lost 3-0 to El Salvador on Friday evening and fell 1-0 to Panama on Sunday night.

Shanalee Smith (12’) struck first for Belize in their 2-1 loss to Cuba in the ranking match for 7th place on Tuesday morning.

The champions, Costa Rica drilled Panama, 4-0, in the final.

Tuesday night, while El Salvador won, 3-1, over Honduras in the consolation match for 3rd place earlier in the evening, Nicaragua edged Guatemala, 3-2, in penalties to secure 5th place, after a 3-3 draw in regulation.