Antigua name training squad for World Cup qualifiers
By OBSERVER Sports - Tuesday, August 16th, 2011.
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ST JOHN’S, Antigua – The Antigua & Barbuda Football Association (ABFA) has announced a 36-member training squad to begin preparation for the senior team’s first two games of the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
The squad includes 16 players from the nation’s only professional club Antigua Barracuda FC, which made its debut in the United Soccer League Professional Division this season.
Ten overseas-based professionals have also been invited to the training squad.
Among them are LA Blues striker Peter Byers; Mikele Leigertwood of Reading FC, Marvin McCoy of Wycombe Wanderers FC; Justin Cochrane and Miles Weston of Brentford FC and James Walker of Dover FC.
The other overseas-based players are Marc Joseph of Altrincham FC; Nathaniel Jarvis of Cardiff FC; Keiran Murtagh of Cambridge United FC and Kiernan Hughes Mason of Milwall FC.
Antigua & Barbuda, ranked 106 in the World and fourth in the Caribbean Football Union (CFU), have been placed in Group F in the second round of CONCACAF qualification for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
The Antiguans have been drawn alongside Haiti, Curacao, and the United States Virgin Islands in home and away ties to be played between September 1 and November 15.
Antigua and Barbuda will open their campaign at home against Curacao on September 2. The Antiguans will then travel to face the US Virgin Islands on September 6.
They will be away to Curacao on October 7 then return home to face US Virgin Islands on October 11.
Antigua & Barbuda will face Haiti at home on November 11 and will round off their Group F campaign away to the Haitians on November 15.
Full squad: Goalkeepers – Randy Nicolas (Empire FC), Keita De Castro (Antigua Barracuda FC), Javid Joseph (Sea View Farm FC) and Tahari Lewis (All Saints United); Defenders – George Dublin, Akeem Thomas, Karanja Mack, Roy Gregory and Hazely Pyle (Antigua Barracuda FC) and Brian Edwards (Bassa FC); Midfielders – Quinton Griffith, Lawson Robinson, Alex Phillip, Tamarley Thomas, Randolph Burton, Kimoi Alexander and Gason Gregory (Antigua Barracuda FC), Rolston Phoenix (Greenbay Hoppers) and Tavin Crump (Bassa Sports Club); Forwards – Ranja Christian, Stefan Smith and Elvis Thomas (Antigua Barracuda FC), Okeem Challenger (SAP FC), Kerry Skepple and Jamie Thomas (Parham FC) and Roger Hurst (Bassa SC); Overseas-bases players Byers, Leigertwood, McCoy, Cochrane, Weston, Walker, Joseph, Jarvis, Murtagh and Mason.