After training for months at the Football Federation of Belize (FFB) in Belmopan City, island football players Dennisa Pineda and Tanya Teul will travel with the U-20 Female National Football Team on Friday, September 10th, to represent the country in Curacao. Pineda is playing as goalkeeper and Teul as a midfielder. The Belizean team will compete at the CONCACAF U-20 women’s qualifier. This tournament is the start of a journey to see the top teams participating at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica at the end of 2022.
The tournament will take place from September 13th to the 17th, with 13 different teams from the Caribbean. According to Assistant Coach Iris Centeno, the Belize team will play two games. They will face Suriname on September 15th and Grenada on the 17th. The U-20 Female National Team counts with well-experienced players. The islanders were previously represented at CONCACAF in the U-15, U-16, and U-17 national selections.
The road to the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica
The 13 teams are split into four groups. The winner of each group will automatically qualify to what is called the ‘Knockout Stage’ of the championship. This competition stage is scheduled for the first quarter of 2022, and the first phase is the Group Stage. It will include 16 teams divided into four groups. The top three teams of each group will move on to the Knockout Stage. At the end of this phase of the qualifiers, the winner, runner-up, and third-place team will qualify for the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica.
FFB’s President Sergio Chuc says the team’s participation in Curacao is crucial to advance to the next stage. “The players have committed themselves to get through this round and go into the Knockout Stage,” said Chuc. The president is confident that the Belizean national team will do well.
The team was also addressed by the Minister of Youth, Sports, and E-Governance, the Honourable Kevin Bernard. He commended the players and the technical team behind them. “We will be rooting for you as a country, and you have full support from the ministry,” said Bernard.
The sporting sector on the island is proud of the two footballers for representing San Pedro. The San Pedro Pirates Football Club wished Pineda, Teul, and the rest of the U-20 Female National Team all the best in this important tournament.
