By Samuel Peters
For many years. the Ministry of Sports Schools’ Female Football League ran concurrently with the male competitions in the first term of the school year. For the first time, it will be conducted in the second term of the school year, with the main objective of promoting female football, improving player development and competition quality.
Football Coordinator at the Ministry of Sports, Rowan ‘Porridge’ Benjamin, announced that the league will officially launch on Wednesday, January 22 at 10:00am, with matches scheduled to commence from the following Friday. The competition has been restructured to include approximately seven teams in the senior division and nine in the junior division.
“We’ve moved away from cramming five competitions into a 13 to 15-week period between September and December,” Benjamin explained. “This was putting strain on everyone – from players to referees, and even our facilities. Now, teams have been given a proper preparation window of seven to 11 weeks.”
The timing of the league was also aimed to coincide with the Antigua and Barbuda Football Association’s female program, particularly considering the upcoming U20 Caribbean Football Union Qualifiers. This coordination aims to create a more cohesive development pathway for young female footballers.
A new addition to this year’s program is the introduction of a primary school league for girls. “Much more work needs to be done at the secondary level, especially with those young ones coming in from primary school, the first-formers. This is where we really have to catch them,” Benjamin emphasized.
The extended preparation period has allowed for focused technical development, with male team coaches now available to support the female program. “Now that the male competition is over, these coaches will help along with the female coaches in the final preparation of these teams,” Benjamin noted.
The restructured format has been well-received by the players themselves, with Benjamin reporting high levels of enthusiasm among the participating teams. “The girls said they’re ready and yearning to go,” he added, setting the stage for what promises to be an exciting season of schools’ female football.
The new format represents a significant step forward in the development of female football at the school level, providing a more structured pathway for young talent to emerge and develop in Antigua and Barbuda.
