Concacaf U20 Championships: Young Benna Boys Adapting Defensive Mindset Ahead of Mexico Clash

By Neto Baptiste

The Antigua and Barbuda Men’s National Under-20 team is hoping to come out of their opening clash in Group B of the Concacaf Championships against hosts Mexico, with at least a point.

This is according to head coach and former national player, Schyan Jeffers, who spoke on Observer Radio’s Good Morning Jojo Sport Show on Wednesday, just two days before the team’s opening games on Friday.

“We have to make sure that after 15 minutes it’s 0-0, after 45 minutes its 0-0 and try to wind the game down. We have to try to slow the game down and try to keep it at a scoreless game as far as we can go and try to win the game in set piece or a moment in transition,” he said. 

Jeffers went on to acknowledge that the young Benna Boys will take on a team that is far superior in almost every aspect of the game but believes they have been adequately prepared for the task at hand.

“We know that we won’t be having the ball for long periods of time. It will be waves and waves of attack on us. So we have to be really disciplined, really focused and I think that the players are up for the task right now. We’re coming up against Mexico, the last champion of this tournament and they’re a well-experienced team, a well-oiled machine. We are well-disciplined in our shape right now. We are playing really good, really compact in blocks and we are choosing moments when we intercept the ball and how we can launch our attack on them very quickly,” he said.

Following their opening fixture against Mexico, Antigua and Barbuda face Guatemala on July 27th before taking on Costa Rica on July 30th.

At the conclusion of the Group Stage, the two top teams from each group and the two best third-place finishers will advance to the knockout stage. The Quarterfinals are set for August 4th  and 5th, followed by the Semifinals on August 7th, and the Final on August 9th, 2026.

The young Benna Boys qualified for the championships following an unbeaten run in Group C of the Concacaf U20 Qualifiers held in Costa Rica in March this year.

Full Squad: Goalkeepers – Gavin Gonsalves, Mekhi Phillip, Tegan Gomes; Defenders – Jordan Francis, Ivan Grant, Joshua Roache, Javaughn Jarvis, Dajari Barthley, Seth Black-Layn, Elijah Whyte, Zidaan Williams; Midfielders – Obediah Browne, Brenden Skilling, Jaiden Wray, Sedique Adams, Blake Phillogene-Bidance, Marco Michael; Center Forwards – Greg Williams, Vaughn Jackson Jr, Conroy Browne, Brandon Stachell.

Staff: Schyan Jeffers (Head Coach), Roderick Williams (Team Manager), Donavan Peart (Assistant Coach), Derrick Edwards (Assistant Coach), Janiel Simon (Goalkeeper Coach), Coull Graham (Trainer), William Richards (Physiotherapist)