BELIZE CITY, Mon. Mar. 20, 2017–This past weekend, the Football Federation of Belize (FFB) kicked off its National Amateur Women’s League football tournament with Week 1 games being played at 4 different venues across the country. According to release late last week from the FFB, “The league will be sectioned in two zones, northern and southern zones, with four teams per zone.”
“The teams will be competing in their respective zones in the first round,” after which the top 2 teams from each zone will go on to the home-and-away semifinals series, the winners of which clash in the home-and-away championship series.
Participating teams in their respective zones are:
NORTHERN ZONE – Calcutta Strikers (Coroza); Gladiators (Orange Walk); Belize City FC (Belize City); Gentle Touch (Cayo).
SOUTHERN ZONE – Toledo Strikers (Toledo); Sagitun Strikers (Independence); Griga Pumas (Dangriga); Jewel Fury (Belmopan).
Official opening ceremonies for the National Amateur Women’s League were held yesterday, Sunday, at the People’s Stadium in Orange Walk Town, followed by the first game in the Northern Zone.
In Week 1 games over the weekend, 1 game was played on Saturday and 3 on Sunday.
The only game on Saturday was in the Southern Zone at the Victor Sanchez Union Field in Punta Gorda, where the visiting Jewel Fury got the 2-nil win over Toledo Strikers, with goals from Jennisha Scott (10’) and Gisel Baeza (27’).
On Sunday, in the North Zone, the season opener at the People’s Stadium saw visiting Belize City FC coming away with a 3-2 victory over Gladiators FC. Shaking the net for Belize City FC were Jinnelle Pott (28’), Angelique Mejia (35’) and Aracelli Lambey (86’); while both Gladiators’ goals were by Kaite Jones (10’ & 51’). Meanwhile, at the Carolina Football Field in another North Zone clash, home standing Calcutta Strikers were held to a 1-1 stalemate with visiting Gentle Touch. Nataki Alvarez (67’) put Calcutta Strikers in front, but Janellie Chan (72’) equalized shortly after for Gentle Touch. And in the South Zone game on Sunday, at the M.A. Stadium in Independence, home squad Sagitun Strikers clipped Griga Pumas, 1-nil, with a goal from Erica Vallecillo (44’).
Week 2 schedule:
Saturday, March 25
3:30 p.m. – Jewel Fury FC vs Sagitun Strikers – FFB Stadium
4:00 p.m. – Griga Pumas vs Toledo Strikers – Carl Ramos Stadium
4:00 p.m. – Gentle Touch vs Gladiators – Santa Elena Sporting Complex
7:30 p.m. – Belize City FC vs Calcuttta Strikers – Grounds