By Neto Baptiste
Coach of the Antigua and Barbuda Benna Boys, Mikele Leigertwood, has confirmed that he is yet to sign a fulltime contract with the Antigua and Barbuda Football Association (ABFA).
Speaking recently on the Good Morning Jojo sports show, the England-based coach — whose arrangement for the local FA expires at the end of the year — is expected to take up the role on a full time basis starting next year, but said things are at a standstill.
“We’re still in the same situation so we haven’t actually progressed any further than where we’ve been. So, we’ve really just been focusing on putting a squad together for these up and coming games,” he said.
Leigertwood, a former national player, has been an assistant coach at Reading FC since 2019 but works with the Antigua and Barbuda senior men’s team on a part time basis.
The coach said that despite the challenges, he makes full use of the time spent with the national squad.
“You get to spend a lot more time with players and that’s why, for us, it is so important that when we do get together as a national team that there is enough contact time, not just on the pitch but off the pitch. So, it is important for all of us to be around each other so that we can integrate and have conversations. We do loads of things in terms of tactical stuff on the boards and we’re doing videos and presentations. We’ll, sometimes, get the players to present back and a lot of them are really receptive to it and their understanding has certainly increased. So it is challenging but we try and make the most of what we’ve got,” the coach said.
The Benna Boys are in preparation for the Concacaf Nations League with Group C set to kick off here at the FA’s Technical Center on Saturday.
The Antigua and Barbuda Benna Boys open their campaign against Dominica on Saturday at 4pm before facing Bermuda on September 10, also at 4pm.
In Saturday’s other contest, Bermuda take on the Dominican Republic at 11am while, on September 10, Dominican Republic and Dominica clash at 11am.
