Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 12/Sep 09:20

League champs Fatima rebuilding for 2025 SSFL season

REIGNING Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) premiership division champions Fatima College approach their 2025 campaign with youthful focus, as manager and assistant coach Stephen Williams confirmed they are currently in the middle of a rebuilding phase. Fatima open their competitive campaign with a Cup match on September 12, against 2024 Coca-Cola Intercol winners St Benedict’s College, in a top-flight north versus south clash. This contest kicks off at Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo from 5.30 pm after last year’s Girls' Intercol title-holders St Joseph’s Convent Port of Spain take on Big Five winners Pleasantville Secondary, from 3.30 pm. Speaking after the SSFL launch on September 10, Williams said a large chunk of Fatima's players graduated this year, and the younger ones now dominate their setup. Talented, former skipper and attacker Michael Chaves, Luke Correia and Caden Trestrail lead the departing bunch up front, alongside defenders Yohance Atherton, Liam Gooding, David Hospedales and Levi Smith. Goalkeepers Shamal O'Brian and Logan Hamel-Smith also moved on. Despite their exits, Fatima's youth teams played excellently last season. Their Under-13 squad won the league and north zone knockout crowns, while the Under-16s were crowned national Intercol and north zone champions. Williams believes this season provides their younger players with an ideal chance to perform. Looking ahead at the opening SSFL Supercup opening double-header, he said, “It’s not a game for points—yes, it’s for a trophy—but it’s also a good environment for them to play under the lights, especially at home in Port of Spain.” He described this season as a transition as the school parted ways with key players who have now graduated. Williams, though, strongly believes in his youthful outfit. “For this season, we definitely have a young team rebuilding here. We lost about 15 to 17 players. But our under-16 and under-14 programmes have been doing well, so we’re putting our trust in them and hoping they give a good account of themselves and for the college.” Fatima's premiership team have shown good form over the past three seasons, winning the north zone and national Intercol titles in 2022, before copping the league's premiership crown in 2023. They retained the league title in 2024 and won the North Zone Intercol title. Their Under-20 team was also crowned national league and North Zone winners. While Fatima's premiership squad enters the season as league champions, Williams said it will be a big, but not impossible, task for them to retain the coveted crown and put on an equally positive showing in the Coca-Cola Intercol later on. “Not every year you would have the class of players that you would. At some point in time, you would have a rebuilding season. This is probably one for us, and we’re obviously up to the challenge.” Despite the changes, optimism remains high within the camp, Williams confirmed. With SSFL round one matches set to kick off at six locations on September 13, Fatima and St Benedict’s begin their quest from round two, on September 17. Fatima open their SSFL campaign away to 2024 Tobago zone league champions Scarborough Secondary, while the La Romaine Lions lock horns with Queen’s Royal College at a venue yet to be confirmed. “The boys are definitely looking forward to the league, looking forward to getting to play. We just have to wait until the kick-off,” Williams added. Additionally, this is the first time girls' football will be featured on the opening day, with another north versus south classic. More importantly, this season sees the debut hosting of the girls' premiership division, which features five of the nation’s top teams from 2024. The girls' premier teams are last year’s zonal champions: St Joseph’s Convent Port of Spain (north), Pleasantville Secondary (south), Five Rivers Secondary (east) and Signal Hill (Tobago). Central winners Miracle Ministries Pentecostal High will not compete this year and should be replaced by Holy Name, SSFL president Merere Gonzales said. The girls' premiership fixtures will be confirmed within the coming days. SSFL Supercup Opening Day (September 12) St Joseph’s Convent PoS vs Pleasantville Sec. 3.30 pm Fatima College vs St Benedict’s College 5.30 pm SSFL Premiership Round One (September 13) – Home teams first. All matches kick off from 3.30 pm. Trinity vs Carapichaima East St Augustine Sec. vs Malick Sec. San Juan North Sec. vs Signal Hill Sec. St Mary’s vs Queen’s Royal College Naparima College vs Trinity East Scarborough Sec. vs Arima North Sec. The post League champs Fatima rebuilding for 2025 SSFL season appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.