On April 14, the Kirani James Athletics Stadium played host to a memorable evening of regional women’s football, as Grenada’s Senior Women’s National Team (SWNT) fought back from an early deficit to claim a hard-fought 3-1 win over the Cayman Islands in Group C of the 2025/26 Concacaf W Qualifiers.
The visitors got off to a blistering start, with Molly Kehoe finding the back of the net just three minutes into the contest to put Cayman Islands ahead. But Grenada refused to let the early setback derail their game plan. After weathering the initial pressure, the home side gradually found their rhythm, and grabbed the equalizer in first-half stoppage time from Raquelle Mitchell in the 5th minute of added time. Buoyed by the halftime equalizer, Grenada gained momentum as the match entered the second half. In the 63rd minute, Nia Thompson put the home side in front, before 17-year-old Alexis Hypolite, a called-up member of the national U17 squad, sealed the three points with a late strike in the 87th minute.
This result is far more than just three points for Grenada’s women’s football programme. Competing in the preliminary round of the 2026 Concacaf W Championship, Group C pits Grenada against Costa Rica, Guatemala, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands, with only the group winner earning a spot in the final tournament. While Concacaf confirmed ahead of the April match window that Bermuda, Grenada and the Cayman Islands had already been eliminated from contention for the group top spot, the victory still stands as a landmark moment for the development of the women’s game in the country.
A standout feature of the match was the impact of young emerging talent brought through the Grenada Football Association’s (GFA) youth development pathway. In total, five U17 players were called up to the senior squad for this qualifier, with two delivering standout performances. Alongside Hypolite’s decisive goal, 15-year-old Cara Bisasor turned in a composed display that won over fans and team leadership alike. GFA President Marlon Glean highlighted Bisasor as one of the match’s most influential players, noting she quickly became a crowd favorite during her senior appearance.
“This result is a meaningful achievement for our programme and our entire country,” Glean said in post-match comments. “We are incredibly proud of how the team responded to the early setback, and this win reflects the steady progress women’s football is making here in Grenada. What excites us most is seeing young U17 players step up and deliver on the senior stage – that’s exactly the development pathway we’ve been working to build for emerging talent.”
Head Coach Melanie Thomas echoed Glean’s praise, highlighting her side’s mental strength across the full 90 minutes. “The players showed incredible effort, discipline and belief from the first minute to the last,” Thomas said. “We didn’t let that early goal define our match. We stayed calm, worked our way back into contention, and our persistence paid off. Moving forward, we want to carry this same mentality, work ethic and togetherness into our next fixture.”
Grenada will now wrap up their 2025/26 Concacaf W Qualifiers campaign with an away fixture against Bermuda on April 18, hosted at the Dame Flora Duffy National Sports Centre in Hamilton. For the SWNT, the match offers a chance to build on their positive home performance and close out the qualifying stage on a high note.
In a closing statement, the GFA extended its gratitude to all supporters, partners, sponsors and stakeholders who have backed the growth of women’s football in Grenada. Tuesday’s result, the association noted, serves as a proud reminder of what this team can achieve, and the GFA remains confident that the programme will continue to go from strength to strength in the coming years.