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Saturday, November 01, 2025
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Radcliffe With Bermudian Trio Fall in FA Youth Cup
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 The FA Youth Cup dream has come to an end for the Bermudian trio of Syhon Goater, Blayz Borgesson, and Kiemi Chamberlain, after their Radcliffe FC Under-18 side were defeated 4-2 by Doncaster Rovers Academy in a hard-fought Fourth Qualifying Round clash at the Eco-Power Stadium.
The young Radcliffe side, featuring Goater, Borgesson, and Chamberlain, battled fiercely against their professional academy opponents, but ultimately came out on the wrong side of a six-goal thriller.
Despite the final score, the match served as a significant occasion for the Bermudian players, giving them invaluable experience competing in one of English youth football's most prestigious cup competitions. The team showcased grit and determination but were unable to match Doncaster Rovers' clinical edge over the 90 minutes.
Their journey to the Fourth Qualifying Round was a commendable feat, and while the defeat is a setback, the experience gained playing at the Eco-Power Stadium against high-calibre academy opposition is crucial for the continued development of the young island players.
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Thursday, October 30, 2025
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Maspers Updates Bermuda Players in Future Pro Program
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Callum Maspers from Future Pro Academy who will soon be in Bermuda gave islandstats.com some updates on the Bermuda Players within their Academy, please see below:
Harlem Bean-Fox, Kennahz Fray & Chedi Smith
Earlier this month, Bean-Fox earned a trial with Coventry City FC Under-18’s, a professional English Academy. This opportunity is a direct result of Harlem’s discipline, work ethic, and consistently high-level performances within the Future Pro Academy programme.
Bean-Fox, together with teammates Fray and Smith, will also participate in the Professional Showcase Fixture on Friday, October 31st, against Hartlepool United FC Under-18s. This event will provide a valuable platform for the players to demonstrate their ability in a competitive professional environment and gain further exposure.
Jahni Simmons
Future Pro Academy also recognises the outstanding progress of Jahni Simmons, who received a trial with Halifax FC Women, a Tier 3 club competing in the FA Women’s National League, just two divisions below the Women’s Super League. This represents a significant achievement for Simmons and highlights her commitment, professionalism, and continual development within the women’s game.
During October, Simmons reached the First Round Proper of the Women’s FA Cup with Coventry Sphinx FC Women. Despite a defeat to National League side Derby County FC Women, this marks a notable achievement to be competing in the Women's FA Cup. Additionally, she featured in a County Cup fixture against Aston Villa FC Women’s Under-21s at Bodymoor Heath, the official training ground of Aston Villa FC.
Shiloh Waite
After a period on the sidelines through injury, Shiloh Waite has made a strong return to training, working closely with both the Under 19 and Under 21 squads. The 17-year-old will feature in next month’s Professional Showcase Fixture against Walsall FC Academy, marking an exciting step forward in his continued development and return to full match action.
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Thursday, October 30, 2025
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Bermuda to Compete in World Cup & Olympic Qualifiers
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Concacaf has announced key details about the 2026 Concacaf U-20 Qualifiers. The tournament, which will serve as the 2026 Concacaf U-20 Championship qualifying competition, is set to be disputed among the Confederation’s Member Associations ranked between 7 and 41, and will take place from Feb. 23 to March 4, 2026.
After round-robin play, the first-place team from each group will advance to the 2026 Concacaf U-20 Championship, joining the six top-ranked nations that are pre-qualified directly to the tournament.
The complete match schedule for the 2026 Concacaf U-20 Qualifiers will be announced after the official draw.
The Qualifiers matches will take place across venues in three nations: Costa Rica, Curaçao and Nicaragua.
The 32 national teams participating in the qualifiers are (in alphabetical order): Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Costa Rica, Curaçao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, French Guiana, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sint Maarten, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos, and US Virgin Islands.
The six national teams pre-seeded in the Championship are (in ranking order): United States (1), Mexico (2), Honduras (3), Panama (4), Cuba (5), and Guatemala (6).
Bermuda are in Pot 3 with Aruba, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Belize, Saint Lucia, and Guyana
The competition’s official draw is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, at 11 a.m. ET. Fans can follow the event on Concacaf’s YouTube channel.
The 12-team Championship is scheduled for the summer of 2026, running from July 25 to Aug. 9, and will feature the region's 12 best men's U-20 national teams divided into three groups of four. The tournament will also serve as the qualifying competition for both the 2027 FIFA Men's U-20 World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics.
After round-robin play, the two top teams of each group and the two best third place teams will advance to a Knockout Stage comprised of the Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Final.
Further details regarding the 2026 Concacaf U-20 Championship, including the tournament's host nation and draw details, will be published at a later date.
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Wednesday, October 29, 2025
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Ming Helps Syracuse Stun North Carolina in ACC Thriller
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Shaquille Ming and his Syracuse University Men’s teammates delivered the shock of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), securing a stunning 1-0 victory over No. 22 North Carolina in a thrilling encounter. The defeat marks the Tar Heels’ first conference loss of the season.
The win was a testament to both opportunistic attacking and a resolute defensive effort, which saw the Orange withstand intense pressure from their nationally ranked opponents.
The match's solitary goal came in the 36th minute of the first half and was the result of a swift counter-attack. The move was ignited by Carlos Zambrano, who broke away and expertly dribbled the ball downfield, weaving through defensive lines.
With the North Carolina defence closing in, Zambrano showed composure to pass the ball across the box to find freshman Landon Darko. Darko made no mistake, firing the ball right past North Carolina goalkeeper Andrew Cordes to put Syracuse ahead 1-0. The goal proved to be the decisive moment of the match.
While Darko provided the firepower, the victory was anchored by a heroic defensive performance, which included Bermudian defender Shaquille Ming.
North Carolina dominated the early possession and generated several scoring opportunities, particularly in the first half. Tar Heels’ six shot attempts and five corner kicks failed to yield a goal, thanks in large part to the phenomenal efforts of the Syracuse backline and goalkeeper.
Syracuse shot-stopper Tomas Hut was in inspired form, collecting four crucial saves in the first half alone to ensure the Orange maintained their narrow lead. With Ming and the defence shutting down every subsequent attack in the second half, Syracuse held on for a crucial three points and the major upset.
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Monday, October 27, 2025
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Grant Booked as Gillingham Academy Defeat Portsmouth
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It was an uncharacteristically difficult morning for Nayan Grant and his Gillingham Academy teammates, who came out with a comprehensive 4-0 win in their Youth Alliance fixture against Portsmouth.
Kicking off bright and early at 11am, the young Gills were able to find their footing against a sharper Portsmouth side. The visitors took control of the match early and built up a decisive lead.
By the 57th minute, Gillingham found themselves leading 3-0, a scoreline that reflected Gillingham's dominance. It was shortly after the third goal that aggression appeared to boil over for the Bermudian defender. Nayan Grant was shown a yellow card by the referee, marking a challenging moment in what was already a tough day for their opponents.
Gillingham would go on to score one more goal, sealing the 4-0 victory.
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