By Neto Baptiste
Technical director for the Antigua and Barbuda Football Association (ABFA), Sowerby Gomes, has rejected suggestions that some national coaches may be replaced following unfavourable results across a number of senior and youth international tournaments.
The former national defender was, at the time, addressing the country’s recent exit from Group D of the Concacaf Under-17 Men’s Championship Qualifiers in Nicaragua.
Gomes said that although it is possible for a slight reshuffling to take place based on the needs of some teams and coaches, there are no plans for a total overhaul of the current set-up.
“We will elevate those who need to be elevated and we will shift around where we see weaknesses. Those who we see have strength in certain areas, we will put them across to try to enhance, so it’s about developing and where the weaknesses are, we are able to shift around and make sure we have a better product because it is about development of these young players,” he said.
The former national defender who has been on the job since July last year, said the performance of coaches must first be assessed before final decisions are made.
“We just completed the Under-17s tournament, and the coaching staff that took that team, we will have to sit and look at that. We also completed the Under-20 in the female, so as we go forward, certainly there will be some restructuring, there will be some upgrades, but what we know is that there will be continuous development of each of the coaches to enhance from where they are and take them to the next level,” Gomes said.
Antigua and Barbuda finished third in Group D with four points in the recent Concacaf under-17 qualifiers. Hosts Nicaragua finished at the top of the group with a perfect nine points from three matches while Belize was second with four points, but a superior goal difference than that of Antigua and Barbuda.