Antigua and Barbuda national football team
Nickname(s) | Benna Boys | ||
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Association | Antigua and Barbuda Football Association | ||
Sub-confederation | Caribbean Football Union (CFU) | ||
Confederation | Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) | ||
Head coach | Rolston Williams | ||
Captain | Quinton Griffith | ||
Top scorer | Peter Byers (38) | ||
Home stadium | Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua Recreation Ground | ||
FIFA code | ATG | ||
FIFA ranking | 107 4 (9 April 2015) | ||
Highest FIFA ranking | 70 (23 October 2014) | ||
Lowest FIFA ranking | 170 (15 December 2003 - 14 January 2004) | ||
Elo ranking | 139 2 (15 March 2015) | ||
Highest Elo ranking | 131 (November 2010) | ||
Lowest Elo ranking | 179 (November 2007) | ||
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First international | |||
Trinidad and Tobago 11–1 Antigua and Barbuda (Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago; 10 November 1972) | |||
Biggest win | |||
Antigua and Barbuda 10–0 U.S. Virgin Islands (St. John's, Antigua & Barbuda; 11 October 2011) | |||
Biggest defeat | |||
Trinidad and Tobago 11–1 Antigua and Barbuda (Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago; 10 November 1972) |
The Antigua and Barbuda National Football Team is the national team of Antigua and Barbuda and is controlled by the Antigua and Barbuda Football Association, a member of the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football and the Caribbean Football Union.
Nickname
The official nickname of the Antigua and Barbuda national football team is The Benna Boys due to the indigenous music of the country. The name was selected in a contest with the fanbase in 2012 after the team advanced to the third round of the 2014 World Cup qualifiers. The Benna Boys beat out other entries in the contest such as Beach Boys, Iron Bandits, Rhythm Warriors and Party Crashers.[1] In the past, the national team was unofficially known as the Wadadli Boys, another name that was in the contest but did not win.[2]
History
(1972) First international matches
The Antigua and Barbuda Football Association became affiliated with the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) in 1970. The first official FIFA match played by Antigua and Barbuda was away against Trinidad and Tobago in Port-of Spain, Trinidad on 10 November 1972 for a home and away series during 1974 FIFA World Cup qualification. Trinidad and Tobago won the first match 11-1, making this result Antigua and Barbuda's worst loss in team history. The Soca Warriors also won the second leg in St. John's, Antigua 2-1 nine days later.
(1998) Fourth place finish in the Caribbean Cup Finals
The 1998 Caribbean Cup, hosted by Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, saw Antigua and Barbuda, led by Serbian coach Zoran Vraneš, serve up a surprise as they reached the semi-finals of the competition. In the qualifying round, the Benna Boys had an unbeaten string of matches securing progression to group stages of the finals. Antigua were placed in Group 4, along with Grenada, Guyana and Anguilla. A 2-2 draw to Guyana in the opening game was followed by a 7-0 thrashing of Anguilla – in which The Benna Boys were rampant to say the least. All this before a narrow 2-1 victory over Grenada, who finished in second spot on 6 points. Winning two matches and drawing one saw Antigua and Barbuda topped the group with 7 points, sealing their progression to the group stage of the Caribbean Cup Finals.
Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
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Antigua and Barbuda | 7 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 3 | +8 |
Grenada | 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 4 | +13 |
Guyana | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 4 | +13 |
Anguilla | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 35 | -34 |
In the group stage, there were two groups. Antigua and Barbuda were put into Group A with their first match coming against a very talented Trinidad and Tobago team, a match they narrowly lost 3-2. A 2-1 win over Dominica followed, with Derrick Edwards and Winston Roberts grabbing the crucial goals that gave Antigua the platform to carry onto the final tie against Martinique, and a 5-1 hammering of the latter was assured. The performances in the aforementioned three matches saw Antigua and Barbuda get second place in the group and qualify for the knockout phase of the tournament.
Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
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Trinidad and Tobago | 9 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 3 | +10 |
Antigua and Barbuda | 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 5 | +4 |
Martinique | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 8 | -1 |
Dominica | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 15 | -13 |
The Benna Boys' first and only qualification to the knockout round saw them pitted against the heavy favourites of the tournament, Jamaica's Reggae Boys. Antigua and Barbuda did so well to keep their fierce rivals at bay for normal time, until Onandi Lowe struck in the 110th minute of extra time to send Antigua and Barbuda into a 3rd Place Playoff with Haiti who lost to Trinidad & Tobago in the other semi-final. That would produce a magnificent encounter, with Antigua ending up the losing team in a five-goal thriller. Vaughn Christopher and Ranjae Christian bagged the duo of goals for Antigua and Barbuda but it wasn’t enough to grab third place and a bronze medal. Even though disappointed not to go further, the Benna Boys were still proud to go the furthest they've ever gone before in the Caribbean Cup.
Semifinals
Third Place Playoff
31 July 1998 |
Haiti | 3–2 | Antigua and Barbuda |
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Jean Bernard Fleurial 72' Jean Robert Menelas 27' Abrahim Mackenzy 71' |
Vaughn Christopher 53' Ranjae Christian 58' |
(2011-2012) Historical run in World Cup 2014 qualifying
Antigua and Barbuda led by Tom Curtis made a historic run to the third round of CONCACAF qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. They received a bye from the first round of CONCACAF qualifiers and were grouped with the U.S. Virgin Islands, Curaçao and Haiti in the second round. Their first match was at home to Curaçao. After conceding the first goal, the Benna Boys came back to win the match 5-2. Next, Antigua and Barbuda played away to the U.S. Virgin Islands and won convincingly 8-1. In their third fixture, Antigua and Barbuda had to play a tricky away match at Curaçao. Tamarley Thomas scored the game-winning goal in the 73rd minute to give Antigua and Barbuda all 3 points. Up next in their fourth fixture of the second round was a home match versus the U.S. Virgin Islands. Antigua and Barbuda wasted little time before scoring the opening goal. In this match, the Benna Boys made history with an emphatic 10-0 win that saw Peter Byers and Tamarley Thomas both scoring hat-tricks. This was the biggest win in Antigua and Barbuda football history. While Antigua and Barbuda easily beat the U.S. Virgin Islands, Curaçao drew away at Haiti. This meant that Haiti needed at least a draw in their next match in Antigua to stay alive in the competition. On November 11, 2011, Antigua and Barbuda played versus Haiti at home. This match proved difficult for the Benna Boys. For large spells of the match Haiti had majority of the possession and almost scored on a number of occasions including hitting the post twice in the first half. In the second half, Haiti was content on settling for a draw knowing that the next match was in Port-au-Prince and would be favoured to win. In the 82nd minute, Antigua and Barbuda opened up the deadlock with a strike from Kerry Skepple. After the goal, Haiti pressed for the equalizer and forced goalkeeper Molvin James to make some terrific saves. Antigua and Barbuda won this match 1-0 and advanced to the third round of CONCACAF qualifying thus eliminating Haiti with a game to spare. In the final match, the Benna Boys lost in the return leg in Haiti 2-1. Winning this group saw Antigua and Barbuda's FIFA World ranking go to 83rd, their highest ever at the time.
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In the third round, Antigua and Barbuda were grouped with Jamaica, Guatemala and the United States. The first fixture in his group was an away match to the United States. Most people were expecting a convincing win by the U.S. but Antigua and Barbuda made it a competitive game. After conceding the first two goals from Carlos Bocanegra and Clint Dempsey in the 8th and the 44th minute respectively, Peter Byers scored a goal on a through pass from Mikele Leigertwood to bring the match to 2-1 in the 65th minute. The Benna Boys were somehow trying to equalize but that came to an end in the 72nd minute when Hercules Gomez scored a goal. The match ended in a 3-1 loss but Antigua and Barbuda gained respect for standing toe to toe with a CONCACAF giant. Up next was a home match to Jamaica. It ended in 0-0 draw gaining their first ever point in the third round of World Cup qualifying. Next, was another tough road test versus Guatemala in the pouring rain that saw some areas of field flooded. Surprisingly, Antigua and Barbuda opened the scoring in the 39th minute from Peter Byers and took the lead into half time. In the second half, Carlos Ruiz leveled the match at 1-1 in the 60th minute. It went from bad to worse when they were reduced to 10 men. Molvin James received a second yellow card for time wasting and Ruiz scored another goal to take the lead 3 minutes later. In the 91st minute Dwight Pezzarossi sealed the match 3-1. The return leg against Guatemala in Antigua saw Guatemala win 1-0 on a wonder strike from Carlos Ruiz in the 25th minute. A home match versus the United States was the next on the schedule. The United States opened up the scoring in the 20th minute on a header from Eddie Johnson but then 5 minutes later the Benna Boys leveled the score from Dexter Blackstock from a Peter Byers pass. The match saw both teams have chances to take the lead even though the U.S. had majority of the possession. Unfortunately, Antigua and Barbuda conceded a late goal, again off of an Eddie Johnson header in the 90th minute. The match ended in a 2-1 defeat thus eliminating them from advancing to the next round. The final match of the third round was a 4-1 loss away to Jamaica ending their 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign.
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Rivalries
The Antigua and Barbuda Benna Boys' biggest rivals are with the Saint Kitts and Nevis' Sugar Boys dating back from the inauguration of the Leeward Islands Tournament in 1949. In that tournament in particular, Saint Kitts and Nevis has the majority of wins in the head to head meetings. Although in FIFA 'A' international matches Antigua and Barbuda has the edge in the head to head meetings whether in Caribbean Cup Qualifying or international friendlies. The rivalry has calmed down a bit due to the Leeward Islands Tournament not being played since 2003. Another rival to a much lesser degree is with Haiti. Overall, Haiti has the better all time head to head record with seven wins to Antigua and Barbuda's two along with three draws between them. The rivalry in recent years comes from both World Cup Qualifying and Gold Cup Qualifying with Antigua and Barbuda eliminating Haiti in 2011 in the 2014 World Cup Qualifiers and then the following year in 2012, Haiti eliminated Antigua and Barbuda from reaching the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Stadiums
The National Stadium of the Antigua and Barbuda football team is originally the Antigua Recreation Ground. This stadium is located in Saint John's, the capital and it can hold a capacity of 12,000 people. The national team also use the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium for some of their home matches. This state of the art facility is located in North Sound holds up to 10,000 spectators.
Saint John's |
North Sound |
North Sound |
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Antigua Recreation Ground | Sir Vivian Richards Stadium | |
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Capacity: 12,000 | Capacity: 10,000 |
Past and present crests
These are the crest used over the years by the Antigua and Barbuda national football team.
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Kits
Kit Manufacturer
The current kit of the Antigua and Barbuda national football team are manufactured by Chinese company Peak Sportswear. The Benna Boys have worn the brand since 2012, after they qualified to the third round of the 2014 World Cup qualifiers. The team has five different coloured uniforms. One for each colour of the flag. The yellow uniform is the primary one, normally used for home matches. The black ones are the usually for away matches. The team also have red, blue and white alternates.
Kit Manufacturer | Period |
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Virma | 2000-2003 |
Adidas | 2006-2011 |
Peak | 2012-2015 |
Kit Evolution
These are some of the kits worn over the years by the Antigua and Barbuda national football team.
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Latest results and All-time record
Latest results and upcoming fixtures
Date | Host country and Venue | Opponent | Score | Match Type | Antigua and Barbuda Scorers |
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September 3, 2014 | Antigua Recreation Ground, Saint John's, Antigua and Barbuda | Anguilla | 6-0 | Caribbean Cup Qualifier | Jahraldo-Martin 8' Murtagh 35' 72' Harriette 41' Byers 55' Griffith 69' |
September 5, 2014 | Antigua Recreation Ground, Saint John's, Antigua and Barbuda | Dominican Republic | 2-1 | Caribbean Cup Qualifier | Byers 55' Jarvis 71' |
September 7, 2014 | Antigua Recreation Ground, Saint John's, Antigua and Barbuda | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 2-1 | Caribbean Cup Qualifier | A. Thomas 83' Jarvis 90+' |
October 8, 2014 | Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, Trinidad and Tobago | Saint Lucia | 2-1 | Caribbean Cup Qualifier | Murtagh 73' Parker 90+' |
October 10, 2014 | Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, Trinidad and Tobago | Dominican Republic | 0-0 | Caribbean Cup Qualifier | none |
October 12, 2014 | Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, Trinidad and Tobago | Trinidad and Tobago | 0-1 | Caribbean Cup Qualifier | none |
November 12, 2014 | Montego Bay Sports Complex, Montego Bay, Jamaica | Haiti | 2-2 | Caribbean Cup Final | Weston 58' Byers 60' |
November 14, 2014 | Montego Bay Sports Complex, Montego Bay, Jamaica | Jamaica | 0-3 | Caribbean Cup Final | none |
November 16, 2014 | Montego Bay Sports Complex, Montego Bay, Jamaica | Martinique | 0-2 | Caribbean Cup Final | none |
March 8, 2015 | Antigua Recreation Ground, Saint John's, Antigua and Barbuda | U.S. Virgin Islands | 2-0 | International Friendly | Javorn Stevens 24' T. Thomas 51' |
March 15, 2015 | Antigua Recreation Ground, Saint John's, Antigua and Barbuda | Dominica | 1-0 | International Friendly | T. Thomas 32' |
March 21, 2015 | Antigua Recreation Ground, Saint John's, Antigua and Barbuda | British Virgin Islands | 1-0 | International Friendly | Hazelwood 4' |
June 8, 2015 | Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua and Barbuda | Saint Lucia | -- | World Cup Qualifier | -- |
June 16, 2015 | Vieux Fort National Stadium, Vieux Fort, Saint Lucia | Saint Lucia | -- | World Cup Qualifier | -- |
- Key
Win Draw Loss
All-time record against all opponents
These all-time records are exclusively class 'A' internationals matches.[3]
Opponent | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against |
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Anguilla | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 3 |
Aruba | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
Barbados | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 14 |
Bermuda | 10 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 12 |
British Virgin Islands | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 10 |
Cayman Islands | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
Cuba | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 13 |
Curaçao | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 |
Dominica | 15 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 27 | 18 |
Dominican Republic | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 11 |
French Guiana | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
Grenada | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 6 |
Guadeloupe | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 |
Guatemala | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 13 |
Guyana | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 16 |
Haiti | 12 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 11 | 19 |
Honduras | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Hungary | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
Jamaica | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 18 |
Martinique | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 12 |
Mexico | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 |
Montserrat | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 4 |
Saint Lucia | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 18 | 11 |
Saint-Martin | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 2 |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 13 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 17 | 20 |
Saint Kitts and Nevis | 22 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 30 | 30 |
Suriname | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 15 |
Trinidad and Tobago | 13 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 12 | 41 |
U.S. Virgin Islands | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 1 |
United States | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
Total | 187 | 65 | 37 | 85 | 280 | 319 |
Competition records
World Cup record
World Cup | |||||||||
YEAR | P | W | D | L | F | A | PTS | +/- | FINISH |
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1930 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not enter |
1934 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not enter |
1938 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not enter |
1950 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not enter |
1954 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not enter |
1958 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not enter |
1962 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not enter |
1966 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not enter |
1970 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not enter |
1974 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not qualify |
1978 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not enter |
1982 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not enter |
1986 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not qualify |
1990 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not qualify |
1994 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not qualify |
1998 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not qualify |
2002 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not qualify |
2006 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not qualify |
2010 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not qualify |
2014 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not qualify |
2018 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
TOTALS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/20 |
Gold Cup record
Gold Cup | |||||||||
YEAR | G | W | D | L | F | A | PTS | +/- | FINISH |
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1991 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not enter |
1993 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not qualify |
1996 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not qualify |
1998 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not qualify |
2000 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not qualify |
2002 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not qualify |
2003 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not qualify |
2005 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not qualify |
2007 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not qualify |
2009 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not qualify |
2011 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not qualify |
2013 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not qualify |
2015 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not qualify |
TOTALS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/13 |
Caribbean Cup record
Caribbean Cup | |||||||||
YEAR | G | W | D | L | F | A | PTS | +/- | FINISH |
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*1978 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 0 | -7 | 4th Place |
*1979 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not qualify |
*1981 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not qualify |
*1983 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not qualify |
*1985 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not qualify |
*1988 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | Runners-up |
1989 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not qualify |
1990 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not qualify |
1991 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not enter |
1992 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 1 | -10 | Group Stage |
1993 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not qualify |
1994 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not qualify |
1995 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 | -2 | Group Stage |
1996 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Withdrew |
1997 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | -4 | Group Stage |
1998 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 9 | 6 | +2 | 4th Place |
1999 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not qualify |
2001 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not qualify |
2005 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not qualify |
2007 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Did not qualify |
2008 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 2 | -3 | Group Stage |
2010 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | -2 | Group Stage |
2012 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | Group Stage |
2014 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 1 | -5 | Group Stage |
TOTALS | 31 | 5 | 6 | 19 | 31 | 62 | 22 | -31 | 10/24 |
- Key
Champion Runners-up 3rd Place 4th Place
- *CFU Championships from 1978 to 1988 which was a four team format.
- **Red border color indicates the tournament was held at home.
Players
Current squad
The following players are part of the squad that were called up for International Friendly matches against the U.S. Virgin Islands on 8 March 2015, Dominica on 15 March 2015 and the British Virgin Islands on 21 March 2015.[4]
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Recent Callups
The following players have also been called up to the Antigua and Barbuda squad within the last twelve months.
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* Called up to the national team but was ruled out due to injury.
Coaches
Coaching History
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Current Coaching Staff
- Piotr Nowak - Technical Director
- Rolston Williams - Head Coach
- George Warner - Assistant Coach
- Fernando Abraham - Manager
- Irving Lewis - Goalkeeper Coach
- Janiel Simon - Equipment Manager
- Danny Benjamin - Assistant Equipment Manager
References
External links
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