The Belize National U17 football team returned to the country after participating in the 2025 Confederation of North, Central America, and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) qualifiers held in Toluca, Mexico, from February 7th to February 16th. The young Belizean team, the Jaguars, featured a talented goalkeeper from San Pedro, Erick Rodriguez. They competed in Group C against teams from Mexico, Nicaragua, Barbados, and Dominica, ultimately finishing in fourth place.
Supporters, relatives, and friends welcomed Rodriguez back to San Pedro Town on February 17th. He has been recognized as one of the best young goalkeepers the country has produced. Rodriguez expressed his gratitude for the support he received, particularly from coach Ada Cordova and the San Pedro Town Council Sports team, who encouraged and supported the island’s youth in pursuing their football dreams. He vowed to continue playing and working hard to become a better goalkeeper.
The Jaguars’ first game against Dominica took place on February 7th. Team Belize dominated the match, winning 7-0, and moved on to prepare for their second match against Nicaragua. On February 9th, they faced a tough Nicaragua team that successfully thwarted every attempt made by the Jaguars. In the end, Nicaragua secured a narrow 1-0 victory.
Two days later, Belize players faced the host team, Mexico. Team Belize put forth their best effort and fought hard to overcome the Mexican squad. Goalkeeper Rodriguez fiercely protected the goal area; however, the team could not avoid a 3-0 defeat. The final game in the qualifiers was against Barbados, which turned out to be one of the most intense matches, keeping both teams on edge. Unfortunately, Belize fell short and lost the match with a close score of 4-3.
The CONCACAF tournament aimed to qualify eight national teams for the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup, which will be held in Qatar later this year. All the teams that excelled in their groups secured their spots for the tournament in Qatar. In Group C, where Belize competed, Mexico emerged as the top team and advanced to the World Cup. The other qualified teams include Canada, Costa Rica, Honduras, Haiti, the United States, Panama, and El Salvador.
Share
Read more
