KFC Goodwill International Series: Clarendon, St. Benedict’s to meet in Friday’s final
A look at the battle between Clarendon College (blue) and VMO 4
It will be a clash between Jamaica’s Clarendon College and Trinidad and Tobago’s St. Benedict’s College for the KFC Goodwill International Series championship, after the finalists were decided in contrasting fashion on Tuesday night.
Clarendon College came up against Suriname’s VMO 4 in the first semifinal, and they eased their way to a 3-1 win to book their spot in Friday’s final. Jamaica’s Romarion Thompson opened the scoring in the 16th minute for Jamaica, after which Daniel Clark made it a 2-0 game in the 31st.
The Surinamese boys managed to keep their Jamaican counterparts quiet for the remainder of the half, and began the second mounting a successful attack, which led to Justin Jackson netting a goal for VMO 4 in the 50th.
However, VMO could not find the equalizer, while Jamaican Captain Deandrae Gallimore added the cherry on top with a 90+2 strike to seal the 3-1 win.
It was a close encounter between Chase’s Academic Foundation (blue) and St. Benedict’s College
The second semifinal resulted in heartbreak for many, as the lone remaining Guyanese school in the competition was ousted in anticlimactic fashion.
In a game that was fit for a final, Chase’s Academy and St. Benedict’s College matched strides on the pitch and put on a riveting display of talent. Both keepers had their work cut out for them, as both sides sent shot after shot into the area. However, the finishing for both teams was off, resulting in the scores being deadlocked well into the 90-minute timeframe.
During added time, St. Benedict’s Josiah Ochoa took an off-chance shot at the goal, with the ball bouncing into Chase Keeper Duquain Samuels’s hands and rolling out for the lone goal of the game. Seconds later, the final whistle was sounded, ending the thrilling battle in disappointment for the local team.
The KFC Goodwill International Series final is scheduled for the Ministry of Education Ground (MoE) on Friday evening, where the two schools, Clarendon and St. Benedict’s College, will battle for a Gy$500,000 (US$2500) grand prize, while Chase and VMO 4 face-off in the third-place playoff.
Second, third and fourth place will pocket Gy$300,000 (US$1500); Gy$200,000 (US$1000) and Gy$100,000 (US$500) respectively; a first for the competition.
The tournament is sponsored by KFC Guyana, ExxonMobil, Ansa McAl’s Lucozade, MVP Sports, Pacaraima Golden Suites, and Trophy Stall, with support from the Ministries of Education and Culture, Youth and Sport.
