Clarendon, Chase’s Academic Foundation win big on opening day

Action in the opening game of the KFC Schools International Football Championship between defending champion Clarendon College (yellow) of Jamaica and Region #9’s Annai Secondary.
Action in the opening game of the KFC Schools International Football Championship between defending champion Clarendon College (yellow) of Jamaica and Region #9’s Annai Secondary.

KFC Goodwill International Series

The fifth edition of the KFC Goodwill International Series kicked off yesterday and was a literal goal fest as defending champions Clarendon College of Jamaica ignited their title defence with a 6-2 thrashing of Annai Secondary at the Queen’s College (QC) Ground, Thomas Lands.

Additionally, local boys Chase’s Academic Foundation inflicted a dominant 8-1 beating of Suriname’s Henry Hassankhan Communications School, with Speyside High School (Tobago) and St. Benedict’s (Trinidad) also grabbing wins.

In the tournament opener, Clarendon College put in a clinical performance, dominating Annai for the majority of the game. Their striker, Nicholy Forbes, making his second appearance in the series, grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck, notching up a hat-trick. In fact, he got the ball rolling, netting the first of his three goals in the ninth minute of the game. He would add two more in the second half, finding the back of the net in the 47th and 69th minutes.

A scene from the Dolphin Secondary and Speyside of Trinidad and Tobago clash.

The game was not all one-way traffic despite the final score-line as Annai managed to score twice. They could have scored two more, but their forwards could not take their chances when it mattered.

Forbes found support from Dameon Simms (44’), Anthony Reid (50’), and Dusean Belgrave (71’) to seal the deal. Adrian Cabral (40’) and Guy Moses (74’) were the men on target for Annai.

The game was decided through the superior technical and tactical nous of the Jamaicans, whose physicality was simply too much for Annai to handle, and they definitely are looking like favourites to lift the title for a second consecutive year.

However, Chase’s Academic Foundation might have other ideas as they showed their class in the 8-1 thrashing they inflicted on Suriname’s Henry Hassankhan Communications School.

The Guyanese looked a well-oiled unit despite missing a few key players, and skipper Bryan Wharton displayed his wares, leaving a trail of sprawling Surinamese in his wake throughout the game.

Leading from the front, Wharton opened proceedings, finding the back of the net in the 13th minute. Two minutes later, Emmanuel Campbell made it 2-0, and while the Henry Hassankhan side would cut the deficit in half in the 35th minute through the boot of Ishan Dhanpaul, the latter would undo his good work, scoring an own goal on the stroke of halftime to hand Chase a 3-1 advantage heading into the second half.

Chase’s Academic Foundation would slip into a higher gear in the second half as striker Omar Sam grabbed a brace while Tyrell Walcott (60’) and Jaden Christian (85’) also etched their names on the score-sheet. Sam’s double strike came in the 63rd and 74th minutes, respectively.

With the 8-1 drubbing of the Henry Hassankhan side, Chase’s Academic Foundation has sounded an early warning as one of the favourites for the title.

In the other two matches of the opening day, Speyside High School, led by a brace from Shyon George (2’, 69’) and a 25th-minute goal from Daviel Thomas, saw off Dolphin Secondary 3-1. Dolphin’s lone goal came from Ezekiel David in the 12th minute.

In the fourth and final game of the day, played at the Ministry of Education ground, St. Benedict’s College, last year’s runners-up, dismantled DC Caesar Fox Secondary 5-2.

Josiah Ochoa was ruthless in front of goal, hitting four past DC Caesar’s hapless custodian. While Derrel Garcia opened the scoring for St. Benedict’s in the 12th minute, Ochoa stole the show, finding the back of the net in the 18th, 23rd, 34th, and 80th minutes, respectively.

Both of DC Caesar’s goals were scored in the second half as Kelvin McAlmont (51’) and Jim Carter (82’) were on target.

The competition, which culminates on December 22, will continue tomorrow with two matches slated for QC Ground and two at the Ministry of Education Ground.