A balanced mix of experience and new talent make up the line-up of players on the Senior National Women’s Team, for the 2023 Concacaf Road to W Gold Cup Group Stage Matches this week.
Dominica and Antigua will do battle at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground on Wednesday, October 25 for its Home Match. The Away Match takes place in Antigua and Barbuda against Antigua on Sunday, October 29, at the ABFA Technical Center.
Ten of the 22 players were recently recruited. Among the youngest is 15-year-old Le-Myah Forde who was selected in September. She is also the Dominica Football Association’s 2022 Most Promising Female Youth Player.
The other newcomers to the senior team are Dymond Daniel, Amiah Gilbert, and Kennisha Jno Lewis. Each of them was selected from the Under 17 National Female Team.
Rosalinda Paul, Britney Dennis, Jessica Pierre-Louis, Daniella Laurent, Kimra Joseph and Chrisyan Louis form part of the pool of fresh talent on the team.
The composition of the team also includes Célia Gregoire based in Martinique. She is the newest overseas-based player. She made her debut on the Dominica Team in the September match of this qualifier against Suriname in Dominica.
Other overseas-based players Sari Finn based in the U.S and Kira and Kylee Bertrand based in Canada have been recalled to the senior team.
Captain Romelcia Phillip says while she is optimistic, she expects a tough match against Antigua.
“We are basically evenly matched, and going into the game it will be who wants to win more that will determine the results of the game,” she added.
“It has been slightly difficult. We played against some very tough opponents. We lost our first two matches and right now we’re just looking to change direction,” Phillip said, referring to the September round of the Concacaf games against Suriname and Guyana.
Newly-installed Head Coach Ronnie Gustave is looking to improve the team’s success rate.
“We are building our team at this moment, so we are getting the girls prepared mentally most importantly. The physical aspect is there already so we are trying to get them to understand the game from the build-up phase to the creative phase, to the finishing phase,” Gustave noted.
Dominica is in Group A of League B in the Concacaf Road to W Gold Cup, along with Antigua and Barbuda, Guyana and Suriname.
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