The winning ways of the Cayman men’s national football team were stopped in their tracks at Truman Bodden Sports Complex after a 4-1 beating from 146th-ranked St. Kitts and Nevis.
Cayman head coach Joey Jap Tjong acknowledged that losing is an inevitable reality in sports, though he said that wasn’t his plan when it came to their CONCACAF Nations League group stage competition on Saturday, 7 Sept.
Before Saturday’s loss, Cayman had won two consecutive games.
He said the first goal scored by St. Kitts and Nevis’ Kimaree Rogers less than 10 minutes into the match was controversial, which demoralised his players for the remainder of the first half.
“Our players were in a winning mood and we got demotivated by the first goal. It was an obvious offside,” Jap Tjong told the Compass Sunday morning.
“At this level, it shouldn’t be the case, something should be done about these things,” he said, noting that a video assistant referee (VAR) should be present at every national game because a lot is on the line.
St. Kitts and Nevis went on to score two more times in the first half – both goals coming from Tiquanny Williams (19′, 37′).
“I wasn’t happy in the first half and I showed my anger in the dressing room,” Jap Tjong said. “The second half was a total difference but it was just too late.”
Cayman got a moment of hope six minutes into the second half after captain Mason Duval capitalised on teammate Joshwa Campbell’s cross with a header.
And though the boys played a better half according to Jap Tjong, their efforts weren’t enough to complete a comeback.
“We had a few chances, it should’ve been a draw at least,” Jap Tjong said. “I knew they were a top-level team, but we should have been at that level, too. But we have to lose to become an ultimate winner.”
‘We’ll see how it plays out’
The coach said the team is now focused on the next game.
Next up for Cayman is their second-leg Nations League match against the British Virgin Islands on 9 Oct. Their first-leg fixture ended with a 1-nil victory for Cayman. The exact time and location is yet to be determined.
“We can lose some battles but we will win the war, and we have the quality players for that,” he said.
Despite the latest setback, Jap Tjong said the goal remains the same – advance from the group stage.
Cayman will host the fixture between St. Kitts and BVI on 10 Sept. at Truman Bodden Sports Complex. The match begins at 3:30pm.
“If BVI wins, the chances are open again, but if they lose, we have to win two games with high numbers. It’s not impossible, but we will see how it plays out. But of course, we want to advance from the group,” Jap Tjong said.
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