By Eric Collymore
December 16, 2024
The KFC Goodwill International School Football Tournament kicked off on Sunday at the Queen’s College and Ministry of Education grounds, with defending champions Clarendon College of Jamaica and last year’s runner-up Chase Academic Foundation making emphatic starts to their campaigns.
Clarendon College faced Annai Secondary in their opening match at the Queen’s College ground. The defending champions opened the scoring in the 9th minute through Nicholy Forbes.
Annai equalized in the 40th minute via Adrian Cabral, but Dameon Simms restored Clarendon’s lead in the 44th minute, securing a 2-1 advantage at halftime.
The second half saw Clarendon assert their dominance. Forbes netted his second goal in the 47th minute, followed by strikes from Anthony Reid (50th minute), Forbes again (60th minute), and Dusean Petgrave (71st minute), giving the Jamaican team a commanding 6-1 lead.
Annai Secondary managed a consolation goal in the 74th minute from Guy Moses, resulting in a final score of 6-2 in favor of Clarendon.
Meanwhile, Chase Academic Foundation showcased their firepower in an 8-1 rout of Suriname’s Henry Hassan Khan Community College.
Early goals from Bryan Wharton (13th minute) and Emmanuel Campbell (15th minute) set the tone for the Georgetown school.
Although the Surinamese side pulled one back in the 35th minute, an own goal in the 45th minute handed Chase a 3-1 lead at halftime.
In the second half, Tyrell Walcott extended Chase’s lead in the 60th minute, followed by a quick brace from Omar Sam (63rd minute) and Isaiah Ifill (65th minute).
Sam struck again in the 74th minute, with Jaden Christian sealing the victory in the 85th minute for an 8-1 final score.
Other results from the opening day included Trinidad and Tobago’s Speyside High defeating Dolphin Secondary 3-1, while St. Benedict College from T&T secured a 5-2 win over DC Caesar Fox.
The tournament continues on Tuesday, with matches scheduled to begin at 1:30 PM at the Queen’s College ground.