BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - HEAD COACH of the St. Kitts-Nevis Football team, Jacques Passy believes his players have the competitive edge to defeat the much-fancied Haiti unit.
In a critical encounter on their road to the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the Sugar Boys must win against their Haitian counterparts if they are to progress to the next round.
This must-win game is the result of the national team loss in the opening round to French Guiana last month, leaving them at the bottom of the three-team group.
Slated for Sunday (Nov. 13) at the Warner Park Football, Passy told reporters today (Nov.11) that it is expected to be a high-level game because their opponent is one of the top teams in the region.
He pointed out that the Haitians have been playing in a number of top regional competitions against some of the best in the CONCACAF region, including Jamaica.
“We are playing a very, very tough game and we are prepared for that game,” Passy said.
He noted that despite the preparedness, his team needs to work together and protect its home turf with the assistance of the 12th-man - the home crowd.
“I am a firm believer that having a full stadium, having a full house and having everything and everyone joined together will drive a tremendous energy and provoke a situation that is more worthwhile.”
Team St. Kitts and Nevis has been on a winning streak in its last several outings, being undefeated in six of the last seven encounters, General Secretary Stanley Jacobs pointed out.
President of the SKNFA, Anthony Johnson explained that the success of the senior national team is due to the hard work that the head coach and his team has put in over the last 12-months.
He noted that the team could not guarantee success but rather “do all in our power to ensure that we get the results that we want”, adding that it highly depends on the entire country “representing in Warner Park”.
Johnson, during a media conference today (Nov. 11), commended the Under-20 team for progressing to the next round of the World Cup Qualifiers. They would do battle in February to qualify for the Championship in Korea next year.
Tickets for this weekend’s encounter are available at the Football House on Lozack Road and the first whistle blows off at 8:00 p.m.
