Soca Warriors defeat Golden Jaguars 2-1 in friendly match

Trinidad and Tobago’s Soca Warriors got the better of Guyana’s Golden Jaguars in an international friendly match at the Hasley Crawford Stadium on Monday evening.

Benjamin reduced Trinidad and Tobago’s lead in the 47th to place the score 2-1.

Still, earlier goals from Kevon ‘Showtime’ Woodley (39th) and Ezekiel Kesar (28th) ensured Soca Warriors edged their long-time rivals.

The two sides, whose squads are comprised primarily of locally based players, are engaged in a two-match international friendly series in preparation for the upcoming World Cup Qualifiers in June.

The second match is on May 15.

Golden Jaguars squad for Trinidad and Tobago

Goalkeepers: Jamaine Cumberbatch, Amari Thompson and Simon Emmanuel

Defenders: Jeremy Garret, Curtez Kellman, Quincy Adams, Colin Nelson, Kevin Layne and Cedric Osborn.

Midfielders: Leo Lovell, Bevan Baker, Terique Mohammed, Amos Ramsay, Nicolai Andrews, Ryan Hackett, Simeon Moore, Daniel Wilson, Chris Macey, Darron Niles and Solomon Austin.

Forwards: Kelsey Benjamin, Marcus Tudor, Anthony Smith and Stephen McDonald

The Golden Jaguars face a daunting path in the Concacaf Qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup Second Round from June 2024 to 2025 in Group D alongside Panama, Nicaragua, Montserrat and Belize.

Guyana will play four matches, evenly split between home and away fixtures in the second round, where the top two teams from each group advance.

In the third round, the twelve teams advancing from the second round will be drawn into three groups of four.

They will play double round-robin home-and-away matches, with the three group winners qualifying for the World Cup.

The two best-ranked runners-up will advance to the inter-confederation playoffs.