4 teams battle for semi-final spots today

KFC Goodwill Tournament…

Football fans are in for an exciting afternoon of action, as four secondary school teams battle in order to seal a spot in the semi-final round of the KFC Goodwill Tournament.
The competition, which is now in its second year, has seen some brilliant performances over the past two playing days, with the playing field literally being level between the lone Trinidadian and five Guyanese teams at the Guyana Football Federation’s training facility at Providence.
Today’s double header will see two teams fighting to stay alive in the competition, while the others look to keep their slates clean.
In the first encounter at 13:00h, defending champions Shiva Boys will take on Annandale Secondary. The last time the two met was in the inaugural competition back in 2018 when Shiva Boys pulled off a last-minute victory four minutes before regulation time ended.
For flashback’s sake, current Shiva Boys Captain Adica Ash had netted the first in the 17 minute and Annandale’s Omari Glasgow equalised in the 55th. It took a Jason Bristol goal in the 86th to give Shiva Boys the edge and the victory. This time around, spectators are in for a treat as the two teams look to bag three points. With Ash and Glasgow still being featured in their respective teams, the intensity will reach its boiling point when Annandale try to exact some revenge on their Trinidadian counterparts.
However, if Annandale are to advance to the semi-finals, they will need more than just Omari Glasgow, owing to their need to iron out their deplorable goal difference following a 9-1 loss to Annai Secondary on Saturday last. These factors and the pure talent that both sides possess will make for an exhilarating first encounter.
The second game will see an inaugural meeting between Marian Academy and Waramadong, who are both new to the KFC Goodwill Tournament. The teams have started their campaign on contrasting notes, with Waramadong recording a 3-1 victory against Lodge Secondary and Marian Academy suffering a 6-1 loss to the same opponents.
Marian, who are eager to prove their worth after finishing third in the Guyoil/ Tradewind Tankers League, before the tournament’s start, had expressed intentions to weed down the competition. They showed signs of this as they held off Lodge Secondary in the early minutes of their encounter, as such Marian are likely to take out their vengeance on Waramadong. On the other hand, the team hailing from Region Seven looked composed in their 3-0 win and seemed to have no trouble finding the back of the net.
The KFC Goodwill semi-finals will be contested on Friday, December 20, with the final showdown scheduled for December 22.
The tournament’s sponsors include Tiger Rentals, Trophy Stall, Guyana Coema Construction and Services Ltd, and Mike Pharmacy. (Jemima Holmes)