Jamaica draw Trinidad and Tobago

Adrian Frater, News Editor

Western Bureau:

Hosts Jamaica were yesterday drawn in Zone C alongside Caribbean arch-rivals Trinidad and Tobago and Central American nation Guatemala for next year's 12-team CONCACAF Under-17 Football Tournament, which will be staged in western Jamaica between February 14 and 27.

At the end of the draw, which took place at the Hilton Rose Hall Hotel and Spa in Montego Bay, Jamaica Football Federation boss, Captain Horace Burrell, said he was fairly pleased with the group in which Jamaica was drawn, but added that there is no room for complacency.

"At this level, it is a reasonable draw, but it will not be easy and it will take a considerable amount of work to emerge as one of the qualifiers," Burrell said.

"That is why I am now even more satisfied that the right decision was taken to send the team to Brazil for a training camp, for which they departed this morning."

The draw for the other three groups in the tournament, which will ultimately yield four qualifiers for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup to be staged in Mexico between June 18 and July 10, 2011, read as follows: Group A - Costa Rica, El Salvador, Haiti; Group B - United States, Panama, Cuba; and Group D - Honduras, Canada, Barbados.

At the completion of the tournament's preliminary round, the quarter-final draw will be as follows: winners of Group A versus runners-up of Group B, winners of Group B versus runners-up of Group A, winners of Group C versus runners-up of Group D and winners of Group D versus runners-up of Group C.

"The decision as to which teams will play against each other in the preliminary round will be taken within the next two weeks," said Ted Howard, general secretary, CONCACAF, when quizzed about the fixture.

"As the organising body, we will be meeting in a few days to discuss and decide on the fixture."

Catherine Hall games

Nonetheless, it was confirmed that Jamaica's first-round games would be played at the new Catherine Hall Stadium in Montego Bay. In fact, should Jamaica advance from the preliminary round, they will stay in Montego Bay as the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final will be played at the Catherine Hall facility.

Chairman of the tournament's Local Organising Committee, Montego Bay Mayor Charles Sinclair, said preparation for the tournament was progressing smoothly and he was anticipating a successful series.

"The last time Montego Bay hosted a tournament like this, Jamaica qualified and we are expecting much the same thing to happen this time around," said Sinclair," referring to 1999 when Jamaica advanced to the Under-17 World CUp finals in New Zealand.

Sinclair added: "I would like to use this opportunity to implore football fans across the region to support this tournament."

Sports Minister Olivia 'Babsy' Grange said she was elated that Jamaica was chosen to host the Under-17 tournament, especially against the backdrop of the Reggae Boyz's recent victory in the 2010 Digicel Caribbean Cup. She also noted that hosting the tournament fitted into the Government's strategy for the development of sports in Jamaica.

"This tournament fits within the Government's overall strategy for sports as we believe Jamaica has the capacity to be the leading sports destination in the world," said Grange. "This tournament will give us a chance to showcase our many fine qualities to the world."