Homegrown talent poised for bigger Benna Boys role

By Neto Baptiste The senior Antigua and Barbuda Benna Boys football team could include more homegrown talent during their 2026/27 Concacaf Nations League campaign set to start later this month. Antigua and Barbuda Football Association (ABFA) media officer Troy Gibson said the vast majority of players joining the squad for the 23 September to 6 October leg of the competition had come through the local system. “The dynamics have changed a lot though, in terms of maybe by descent, it’s probably four to five players by descent and majority of the overseas-based players are players that were born here now and are plying their trade overseas in England, in Germany, in the US and Spain, you know, it’s like that now. It’s going to be a team that’s mostly professional and semi-professional players coming back.

Especially within the last under-20 and under-17, the dynamics have shifted that the players coming from outside have been born here and have moved on to academies or moved on to some semi-professional clubs,” he said. The Antigua and Barbuda Benna Boys will compete in League C, Group B of the Concacaf Nations League with all matches in the opening leg being hosted here in Antigua. Gibson said the association welcomed the opportunity to showcase the senior men’s team to what it hoped would be a diverse crowd. “This is the biggest FIFA window I think in a very long time. It’s a 16-day FIFA window. All the matches will be played at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium. The matches all kick off at seven o’clock and gates will be open by 6 p. m. Tickets will be $20 for adults and after some meetings with the new marketing committee, we decided we want to get a lot more young people involved so we decided that 16 years and under, you will only pay $10 to see the match,” he said.…