The Cayman Islands Men’s Under-20 National Team officially kicked off their campaign of the CONCACAF U-20 Qualifiers in Curaçao.
Cayman has been drawn into Group B alongside Turks and Caicos, St. Kitts and Nevis, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and Bonaire.
Facing off against Turks and Caicos in their first match on Monday, 23 Feb. at the Stadion Rignaal ‘Jean’ Francisca, the Cayman squad ultimately fell short in a narrow 1-2 defeat. Scoring Cayman’s only goal of the match was Ishmael Jones.
On 25 Feb., the boys took on St. Kitts and Nevis but were unable to find the net, falling 3-0.
The Cayman side will look to regroup quickly as the tournament’s pace intensifies, with a schedule that sees them face Jamaica on 27 Feb., Puerto Rico on 1 March, and concluding with a final clash against Bonaire on 3 March.
Ahead of Cayman’s departure for the qualifiers, head coach Garth Anderson said in a Cayman Islands Football Association press release, “This group has worked extremely hard in preparation for these qualifiers, and we are confident in the commitment and character they will bring to the tournament.”
Anderson added, “Our focus has been on building a strong team identity, improving our tactical discipline and ensuring the players are ready to compete. This is an important opportunity for them to represent the Cayman Islands, gain valuable international experience and continue their development as we look to the future of our national programme.”
Competition format
The 2026 CONCACAF U20 Qualifiers is a demanding one, serving as the initial phase of the region’s men’s FIFA U-20 World Cup Qualifiers.
The tournament, set for 23 Feb. to 4 March, features 32 member associations divided into six groups playing across three host countries – Costa Rica, Curaçao and Nicaragua.
Each group competes in a round-robin format where only the 1st-place team from each group will earn a ticket to the 2026 CONCACAF U-20 Championship.
This winner will join the six top-ranked nations – United States, Mexico, Honduras, Panama, Cuba and Guatemala – that have already pre-qualified for the championship.
The 2026 CONCACAF U-20 Championship will then serve as the region’s final round of qualifying for the 2027 FIFA Men’s U-20 World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
The Cayman roster consists of Aden Mclean, Marco Marshall, Joshua Elliott, Calyb Fredricks, Jaeden Gordon, Sean Byles, David Arch, Armand Dacosta, Ajani Carnegie, and Preston Duval, Ishmael Jones, Ethan Anderson, Jahcoby Zelaya, Nacir Smith, Joshua Scotland, Nahshon Ebanks, Roger Johnson II, Myron Hall Cruz, Fred Boothe, and K’mari Watler.
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