Jamaica was crowned the inaugural Cayman Select Cup champions Sunday, 11 Aug., after besting Honduras in a penalty shootout at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex.
In addition to Jamaica and Honduras, the local charity tournament, held across two weekends, featured select squads representing Africa, Cayman and the United Kingdom.
En route to their championship triumph, Jamaica defeated Cayman in a gruelling fixture that ended 4-3 for the squad boasting green, black and gold.
Had Jamaica drew with Cayman, Honduras would have been the automatic winners but due to a tie on points, a best-of-three penalty shootout was required to determine the cup champion.
“Participating in the Cayman Select Cup with my team Jamaica not only brought us joy and excitement but also contributed to the growth of football,” Jamaica coach Devoran Dixon said.
“It’s not just about the games we played, but also about inspiring the community and nurturing the love for football among the youth.”
The event was put on not only to offer players the opportunity to compete against a select team but also to raise funds for the Cayman Athletic Sports Club and the John Gray High School prom committee.
Tournament organiser and CASC president Antwan Seymour told the Compass that the tournament set a high standard for future events, and he is already planning for the next edition to be even better.
“While every event faces challenges, the positives of this tournament far outweighed any hurdles, thanks to the dedication of the teams and the enthusiasm of the fans,” Seymour said. “The success of this tournament is a testament to the talent and passion for football in the Cayman Islands and beyond.”
It’s an initiative that Dixon is grateful for and hopes to see continue.
“The country needs more competitions like this to enhance players’ skills and … discover new talent,” Dixon said. “We anticipate a bigger and better tournament next time – it can only get greater from here.”
In addition to Dixon coaching his team to the ultimate prize, several of his players also picked up individual awards at the conclusion of the football event.
Jermain Brown was named top goalkeeper, Kemario Munroe won the golden boot as the top goal scorer and Nick Wellington was the top playmaker, in addition to earning the tournament MVP honours.
The fair play award went to the UK select squad and Alex Escobar of the Honduras team took the top individual defender award.
The Cayman select team finished third in the tournament. Team coach Lovane Joven said he was pleased to assemble a squad of current and past national team players.
“A very entertaining and exciting tournament. I was glad to see the various local talents on display,” Joven said. “I thank … Antwan Seymour, for organising this inaugural event. I look forward to the next one and congratulations to Cayman Select Cup champions Jamaica Select.”
Related Videos
Cayman did well to lose only 4-3 to the winners. Watching their league matches on Sportsmax, it is clear that Jamaica have a lot of very talented players, and a lot more competition than we have here.