The National Amateur Interdistrict Championship kicked off over the weekend with intense matches across the country on Saturday and Sunday, June 15th and 16th. The tournament, a battleground for 18 teams, witnessed nine games of pure adrenaline on the opening weekend. Two of those games occurred at the Ambergris Stadium in San Pedro Town, with Terror Squad and Conquerors Football Clubs (FC) representing the island.
The tournament, a significant event in the football calendar, is organized by the esteemed Football Federation of Belize and is set to unfold in a series of five knockout rounds. This national competition, a platform for the nation’s football talent to shine, will showcase the immense passion for the sport and serve as a stepping stone for budding athletes to demonstrate their skills nationally.
The first game in San Pedro on Saturday started at 7PM between Conquerors FC and Santa Elena Royal United FC from the Cayo District. The island team, a force to be reckoned with, started strong, scoring in the first minutes of the first half. Despite their best efforts, the Santa Elena team was overwhelmed by the island boys, who dominated the first half, scoring two more goals. They retreated to the lockers for halftime with a commanding 3-0 lead. Conquerors, relentlessly pursuing victory, continued with their dominant gameplay in the second half, sweeping and breaking through Santa Elena’s defense and scoring more goals. Santa Elena’s attempt to turn the tide was fruitless, and they could not avoid a crushing 6-0 defeat at the end of the game.
The second match at 9PM saw an electrifying match between Terror Squad FC and Mi Gente FC from the Orange Walk District. Both teams went on the offensive, making close attempts to open the score in the first half. However, that did not happen, and the score remained goalless at halftime. The second half saw another bout of hard play from both teams. Terror Squad made several approaches, almost ending in a goal, but Mi Gente’s defense blocked every attack.
During the 54th minute, Mi Gente took advantage of a gap in Terror Squad’s defense and scored via a pass by the right corner of Terror Squad’s goalpost. With a 1-0 lead, the visiting team increased the pressure on the home team, who kept trying to tie the game. Mi Gente continued pressing against a Terror Squad, which was no easy feat. Terror Squad was in no mood to lose at home and tied the game in the 75th minute. This gave the island team hope to win the game. However, these hopes were short-lived as Mi Gente surprised them near the end of the match with a second goal. No more goals were scored, and Terror Squad had to settle for a 2-1 defeat. Both island teams are preparing to travel to the mainland for Week 2 of the national tournament.
The results of the other games across the country are as follows. Saturday, June 15th saw two 1-1 matches between both 7 Miles FC vs Tut Bay FC and Garage FC Legends FC, New Site HD Hustlers fell short against the tournament’s current champion, Club Atletico, 2-1, and Copper Bank was defeated San Marcos FC 1-0 in a very tight match. On Sunday, June 16th, Napoles FC crushed Ceasar Ridge FC 3-0, while Calcutta Bulls FC overcame their opponent Yo Creek FC 2-0. The last match for Week 1 of the National Amateur Interdistrict Championship saw Griga Conquerors FC comfortably defeating 501 Spartans 4-1.
