Four members of the Barbados men’s national team have been adjudged among the best players in League C of the Concacaf Nations League (CNL) for the October window. Over the weekend, the regional governing body named its Best XI for the group stage fixtures during the past month.
Barbados concluded their League C campaign with emphatic wins over the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) and The Bahamas. At the Barbados Football Association (BFA) Technical Centre in Wildey, the Bajan Tridents beat the The Dashing Eagles 5-0, and the Junkanoo Boyz 6-2, earning promotion to League B for CNL 2025.
Niall Reid-Stephen was one of the most electrifying players in League C for the October window. He had five goal contributions in October, including four goals and one assist, and was one of the most active offensive players with 13 shots. Reid-Stephen, 23, scored a hat-trick against the USVI.
Barbados captain Andre Applewhaite and fellow defender Carl Hinkson were also included in the Concacaf Team of the Window (TOTW).
Applewhaite had two goals in the 6-2 victory over The Bahamas to help Barbados seal a perfect 4-0-0 campaign to top Group A. The Weymouth Wales captain had six attempts during the two October fixtures.
Hinkson, meanwhile, provided two steals and one clearance to help Barbados limit their opposition to those two goals in their two closing matches. The Kickstart Rush right-back also provided an assist in both Barbados wins.
Sheran Hoyte also scored twice in the 6-2 victory over The Bahamas, to help Barbados complete a four-match winning run. The Tridents advanced to the November play-in. On top of his match-winning goal from seven attempts, the Britton’s Hill midfielder also had a steal.
Belize had three players in the Team of the Window. Midfielder Jordy Polanco scored the match-winning goal in the 3-0 victory against Turks & Caicos Islands. Orlando Velasquez netted the match-winning goal in a 1-0 win over Anguilla. And forward Krisean López had a goal and an assist for the month.
The TOTW goalkeeper was Jelanie Lawrence of Anguilla, who recorded 13 saves. Malique Roberts of Saint Kitts & Nevis Roberts and D´Andre Rowe of the Cayman Islands were the other two defenders, alongside Applewhaite and Hinkson.
Brandon Adderley from The Bahamas was the most lethal forward in League C in October with three goals from nine shots. He scored a brace, including the match-winning goal, in the 3-1 win over the USVI and the opening goal in the 6-2 loss to Barbados.
The Bajan Tridents will be in action again in November, facing Guyana’s Golden Jaguars in a two-legged play-in.
After the completion of group stage play for Leagues A and C, the League A fifth and sixth-place finishers, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Cuba, and French Guiana, and the League C three group winners, Barbados, Belize, and Saint Kitts & Nevis, along with the best second-place finisher, Cayman Islands, have advanced to the CNL play-in.
The play-In consists of a home-and-away direct elimination round, where the eight participants have been divided into four matchups based on the Group Stage results.
By virtue of being the best group winner, with a perfect winning record and superior goal difference, Barbados is set to face Guyana, winless in League A and relegated to League B for the 2025 season.
On Friday, November 15, Barbados will host Guyana from 7 p.m. at the BFA Technical Centre. The reverse fixture is scheduled for Tuesday, November 19 at the National Track & Field Centre in Leonora, Guyana.
After home-and-away play, the aggregate score winner in each matchup will advance to the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup Prelims.
(TF)
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