Chase Academy lifts KFC International School football title after dramatic penalty shootout

Chase Academic Foundation of Guyana won the fifth KFC Goodwill International Football Championship after a tense penalty shootout victory over St. Benedict’s College of Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday evening at the Ministry of Education Ground.

The tense final ended goalless after extra time, leading to a dramatic shootout.

After nine rounds of penalties, Chase’s Academic Foundation goalkeeper Flavio La Rose saved the decisive spot-kick to secure an 8-7 victory.

The shootout saw numerous twists and turns. After the initial five penalties each, the score was tied 4-4, forcing sudden death.

Both sides converted several more penalties before La Rose’s heroics clinched the title for Chase Academy.

Raydon Krammer of Chase’s Academic Foundation was named Most Valuable Player and has earned a three-month training stint at Academia de Futebol Real Brasil.

The 18-year-old, who hails from Kamarang in Region Seven, is expected to depart in March for the full-funded training stint.

Chase’s Academic Foundation won the US$5,000 first prize, while St. Benedict’s took home US$3,000 for school projects.

Chase Academy’s victory completes an Under-18 treble for 2024, having already won the Milo and Republic Bank tournaments.

They also join Annai Secondary (2019) and D.C Cesar Fox Secondary (2022) as Guyanese winners of the ultimate regional school football title.

In the third-place play-off, 2023 champions Clarendon College of Jamaica defeated Annai 7-2.

Nicholy Forbes was a standout performer in the match, scoring two goals in the 25th and 52nd minutes.

The team also saw contributions from Patrick Page (9th minute), Terron Williams (22nd minute), Romario Thompson (72nd minute), Anthony Reid (86th minute), and Leckeem Mullings (89th minute), leading to a dominant victory.

For the opposing team, Adrian Cabral and Josh Glasgow scored in the 59th and 63rd minutes, respectively, but it wasn’t enough to turn the tide of the match.

Clarendon College was awarded US$2,000, and Annai Secondary got US$1,000.

The other participating teams in the tournament were Trinidad’s Speyside Secondary,  D.C Cesar Fox Secondary and Dolphin Secondary of Guyana, and Suriname’s Henry Hassankhan Community High School.