Cayman Islands Boys Under-17 National Team set for 2025 Concacaf U-17 Men’s Qualifiers

Cayman’s Boys Under-17 National Team is set to kick off in the 2025 Concacaf U-17 Men’s Qualifiers, which will determine the eight national teams that will represent the region at the 2025 FIFA U-17 Men’s World Cup.

Cayman will play Jamaica, El Salvador and Saint Lucia in Group H. Led by head coach and former National Team player Ian Lindo, the squad opens competition versus El Salvador at 8 p.m. on Monday, 10 Feb. at Estadio Cementos Progreso, in Guatemala City, Guatemala.

“My expectations are high,” midfielder Jaager Alban said. “We’re hoping to top the group and we’d love to make it through or even just show how good we can play and we’ll let the rest take care of itself.”

In addition to Alban, the team includes:

• Goalkeepers: Ajani Osbourne, Aden McLean;

• Defenders: Dylan Ruwende, Dylan Powell-Bonilla, Fred Boothe, Liam Whiteside, K’Mari Watler, Khajae Hall;

• Midfielders: Emre Ebanks, Isaiah McKain, Charles Morrison, Christo Durrant;

• Forwards: Derek Sanchez, Ajani Carneige, Kevario Harding, Ra’Jon Boothe, Nacir Smith, Roger Johnson, Jhaiyre Willis.

The team’s schedule in Guatemala is as follows:

• Monday, Feb. 10 | 8 p.m. vs. El Salvador

• Wednesday, Feb. 12 | 5 p.m. vs. Jamaica

• Saturday, Feb. 15 | 5 p.m. vs. St. Lucia

“The players have been working hard and we’re excited to see what they can do,” Lindo said.

“The competition will be tough but we’re confident we can perform well.”

The tournament kicks off today with a new single-round format. The 2025 Concacaf U-17 Men’s Qualifiers will be the 16th edition of the tournament as an Under-17 competition and the 20th overall, including its initial years as a U-16 tournament. With nine titles, Mexico is the Concacaf nation with the most Concacaf Men’s U-17 Championship victories. The United States is next with three trophies, followed by Costa Rica and Cuba with one each. Thirty-five U-17 men’s teams are

set to compete in the competition from February 7- 16 across six venues. The eight group

winners qualify for the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2025.

In the Caribbean region, fans can watch the competition on ESPN.

For more information on the tournament and to follow the Cayman Islands’ journey, please

visit Concacaf’s officialtournament page.