The Sugar Boyz Suffers Narrow 2-1 Lost to Guadeloupe

Tuesday 2nd March was quite active on the International Friendly calendar where nearly one hundred percent of the teams taking part in FIFA’s 2010 World Cup in South Africa saw action. With the Digicel Caribbean Championship coming up later in the year, the St. Kitts & Nevis Sugar Boyz travelled to Guadeloupe for the first leg of a home and away International friendly series.

The game, which got off to a late start at around 8:30 PM Eastern Standard Time at the Stade de Vieux Habitants in Guadeloupe saw the St. Kitts & Nevis Sugar Boyz drawing first blood when George “Yellow” Isaac scored a penalty in the 14th minute.

However, Guadeloupe responded with two goals in quick succession – Pascal Vladimir scoring in the 29th minute and Arbau Mare in the 35th minute to give the home team a 2-1 advantage going into halftime. St. Kitts & Nevis stepped up the pressure in the second half and almost got the equalizer when Attis Hughes found the back of the net in the 81st minute only for the goal to be disallowed on a controversial offside call.

According to Head Coach Mr. Lenny Lake the match provided the opportunity for some of the more experienced players to either cement their places in the National team, or for the younger ones to force their way in.

The match was a good test for the St. Kitts & Nevis Sugar Boyz as Guadeloupe had advanced to the final phase of last year’s Gold Cup. The return leg is scheduled for Sunday 4th April, 2010 at the Warner Park Football Stadium in Basseterre, St. Kitts.

The Digicel Caribbean Cup is a qualifying tournament for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, and the St. Kitts Nevis team is working hard on advancing to that tournament.

A squad of some fifty (50) players is currently in training and this augurs well for St. Kitts & Nevis’ 2010 International football Calendar.

In 1997, the St. Kitts-Nevis team placed second (2nd) in the Shell Cup, which was later replaced by the Digicel Caribbean Cup.

The team returned to the Federation on Wednesday 3rd March.