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Tuesday, September 17, 2024
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CONCACAF Announce Women’s International Competitions
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Building on the successful delivery of the inaugural W Gold Cup this year and the recently launched CONCACAF women’s club competition – the W Champions Cup – CONCACAF has taken another positive step in the ongoing growth and development of women’s football in the region, with an expanded calendar of women’s national team competitions now confirmed for the 2025 to 2029 international cycle.
The revamped women’s national team ecosystem, which the CONCACAF Council recently approved, will provide a consistent calendar of competitions for all CONCACAF federations, providing their women’s national teams with regular opportunities to compete on the regional and global stage. Tournaments will include the W Qualifiers and W Championship, which will serve as the qualification path to the FIFA Women’s World Cup and the Summer Olympic Games, the introduction of an inaugural CONCACAF W Nations League, and a second edition of the W Gold Cup.
CONCACAF developed the competition formats after consulting with key stakeholders and analyzing FIFA’s new women’s international match calendar.
Regarding this important announcement, CONCACAF President and FIFA Vice President Victor Montagliani said: “These tournaments will provide a tremendous boost to women’s football in CONCACAF with a consistent calendar of competitions now in place for 2025 to 2029 which delivers all 41 of our federations with opportunities to grow and thrive on and off the pitch.”
“We are now five years on from the launch of our CONCACAF W Women’s football strategy and much progress has been made, from establishing new competitions to celebrating six of our national teams qualifying for and competing at the last FIFA Women’s World Cup, and of course the delivery of countless coaching and development programs that have provided women and girls across our region with opportunities to engage with the sport. We know there remains much more work to do and we are committed to continuing to support our member federations to develop every level of women’s football in CONCACAF.”
2025-26 CONCACAF W Qualifiers
(Qualifies teams for the 2026 CONCACAF W Championship)
The 2025-2026 CONCACAF W Qualifiers will serve as the preliminary round of the 2026 CONCACAF W Championship and consist of a single round to be played during the FIFA Women’s International Match Windows of October and November 2025 and February and April 2026.
2026 CONCACAF W Championship
(Qualifies teams for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup and 2028 LA Summer Olympics)
The first of the three major centralized competitions announced in the new CONCACAF women’s national team calendar, the CONCACAF W Championship, will be played in November 2026 and will serve as the Confederation’s qualifier for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027 and the 2028 LA Summer Olympics.
2028 CONCACAF W Nations League
(Qualifies teams into 2029 CONCACAF W Gold Cup)
The inaugural edition of the CONCACAF W Nations League will take place following the conclusion of the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup. The competition’s Group Stage will occur in February and April 2028, followed by the Finals, where a Champion will be crowned, in November 2028.
2029 CONCACAF W Gold Cup
The second edition of the CONCACAF W Gold Cup will take place in the summer of 2029 and will feature the region’s best women’s national teams.
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Tuesday, September 10, 2024
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Bermuda Edge Antigua & Barbuda
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 Antigua & Barbuda 0 Bermuda 1
The Bermuda Senior Men’s National Team went into their second match of the CONCACAF Nations League September window in Antigua and Barbuda by taking on the host, they would be looking to pick up a victory after falling in their first match.
Antigua & Barbuda Starting Line-Up: - Zaieem Scott, Cardel Roberts (Tyrique Tonge 64th), Keiron Richards, Vashami Allen, Antonio Morgan, Tyrik Hughes, Quinton Griffith (Kwame-Ture Kirby 74th), Kendukar Challenger (Eugine Kirwan 74th), Raheem Deterville, Javorn Stevens (Keon Greene 64th), D´Andre Bishop - Substitutes: - Jayden Martin, Shahoi Dorsett, Zaire Scott, Sean Tomlinson, Daryl Massicot, Eroy Gonsalves - Bermuda Starting Line-Up: - Dale Eve, Roger Lee, Dante Leverock, Harry Twite, Luke Robinson, Willie Clemons, Keziah Martin, Blaiz Hall (Knory Scott 78th), Reggie Lambe (Ne-Jai Tucker 78th), Kane Crichlow, Kole Hall (Jai Bean 65th) - Substitutes: - Detre Bell, Milai Perott, Daren Usher, Zhani Burgess, J Nai Butterfield-Steede, Chikosi Basden, Aunde Todd, Enrique Russell, Tsyi Showers
After a scoreless first half, Bermuda got the go ahead goal, which proved to be the winner from Kane Crichlow in the 56th minute.
Bermuda head into the October matches at the Flora Duffy South Field Stadium at the National Sports Center with a win.
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Monday, September 09, 2024
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Bermuda Paralympic Athletes Reflect Part One
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Wheelchair racer Jessica Cooper Lewis and Boccia athlete Yushae DeSilva Andrade were the only competitors from Bermuda at the Paris 2024 Paralympics.
Representing Bermuda, Lewis still remembers how surprised she was when she entered the Para athletics stadium at London 2012, her first Paralympic Games.
“I was in the stadium, and I think there were 80,000 people there, which is more than the population of Bermuda as a whole. It was just insane to know that my whole country could fit in the stadium, plus some,” Lewis said.
“For me, that was like, ‘WOW’. That was such an amazing feeling and definitely a lot of goose bumps. You could just hear the roar of the crowd, even when you were outside the stadium.”
In London, Lewis was the only athlete competing for Bermuda, an archipelago of 181 islands with a population of about 64,000. But at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, there are two – Lewis and her long-time friend and Boccia athlete DeSilva Andrade.
“We had a 100 per cent increase on our team, so it’s great,” Lewis, who competed at her fourth Games, said with a laugh.
Bermuda made its Paralympic debut at Atlanta 1996 and is seeking its first medal on the biggest stage. DeSilva Andrade, who competed in Paris with pink and blue braids – the colors of Bermuda, was making her second appearance after Rio 2016.
“It has just been awesome, especially to share this moment with Jessica again,” DeSilva Andrade said.
Lewis, 31, and DeSilva Andrade, 30, have known each other since they were around five years old. They met at an organization that offers programmes for people with disabilities, and they both fell in love with sport.
They started by riding horses, then they took up wheelchair Basketball. But after that, they went on separate ways, with Lewis finding her passion in wheelchair racing and DeSilva Andrade starting Boccia.
“I loved the speed. I love to go fast,” said Lewis, who currently lives and trains in Canada.
“In Bermuda because we didn’t have a lot of Para athletes at the time - hopefully that will change in the future - I had to pick a sport that was an individual one.”
“My first love was actually Basketball, but I wanted to represent Bermuda.”
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Sunday, September 08, 2024
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Premier Attends paralympic Games Closing Ceremony
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Premier David Burt was on hand for the Paralympics Closing Ceremonies at Stade de France, Paris.
A Press Release from Government stated, “The Premier said he was delighted to attend the celebratory event and cheer on Bermuda’s Paralympians Yushae DeSilva-Andrade and Jessica Lewis who both achieved top five finishes at the Games. Residents will know that Yushae competed in Boccia and Jessica competed in the 100m at this year’s Paralympic Games.
“One of the highlights of the evening was the Premier’s engagement with the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, who greeted Premier Burt and other leaders in attendance at the Ceremony.
“It was truly a celebratory occasion and it was a delight to see the Bermuda delegation including Yushae and Jessica,” the Premier said. “There’s no question that Jessica’s and Yushae’s performances have truly inspired us all and Bermuda is so proud of their accomplishments.”
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Saturday, September 07, 2024
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Bermuda Fall to Dominican Republic
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Bermuda 2 Dominican Republic 3
The Bermuda Senior Men’s National Team kicked off their September CONCACAF Nations League September window in Antigua and Barbuda by taking on the Dominican Republic.
Bermuda Starting Line-Up: - Dale Eve, Harry Twite, Ne-Jai Tucker, Chikosi Basden, Keziah Martin (Roger Lee 71st), Dante Leverock, Reggie Lambe (Enrique Russell 79th), Kane Crichlow, Blaiz Hall (Jai Bean 66th), Kole Hall, Luke Robinson - Substitutes: - Detre Bell, Milai Perott, , Daren Usher, Zhani Burgess, J Nai Butterfield-Steede, Willie Clemons, Aunde Todd, Knory Scott - Dominican Republic Starting Line-Up: - Xavier Valdez, Jeremy Baez (Ronaldo Vásquez 21st), Brayan Ademán (Carlos Ventura 63rd), Christian Schoissengeyr, Michael Sambataro (César García 21st), Rafael Mata ( 86th), Heinz Mörschel, Jean López, Dorny Romero (Lucas Bretón 86th), Júnior Firpo, Edarlyn Reyes - Substititutes - Miguel Lloyd, Pascual Ramírez, Guillermo de Peña, Miguel Beltre Agramonte, Isaac Báez, Ángel Montes de Oca, , Cristian Ortiz
The Dominican Republic had Edarlyn Reyes sent off in the 11th minute, and six minutes later Bermuda would take a 1 – 0 lead with a goal from Kane Crichlow. The Dominican Republic would find an equalizer in the 35th minute when Dorny Romero beat Dale Eve in goal for Bermuda.
The teams went to the break level at 1 – 1.
Bermuda would go back in front in the 51st minute, when Reggie Lambe scored, but in the 62nd minute the Dominican Republic drew level with a goal from Heinz Mörschel. In the 84th minute, first half substitute Ronaldo Vásquez scored what proved to be the winner for the Dominican Republic.
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