As the 2026 Concacaf Under-20 Championship prepares to kick off in Mexico this summer, the Antigua and Barbuda Football Association (ABFA) has announced its leadership group for the national under-20 squad, the Young Benna Boys. The official announcement, made Wednesday, confirmed that 18-year-old midfielder Dajari Barthley will take on the role of team captain, with Purdue University Fort Wayne goalkeeper Tegan Gumbs stepping in as vice captain.
Barthley, an emerging talent with deep roots in Antigua and Barbuda’s football ecosystem, brings a unique mix of domestic and international training experience to the captaincy. A former student at Antigua’s Baptist Academy, he currently continues his athletic and academic development at Bede’s Senior School in the United Kingdom. His consistent standout performance in recent years has already earned him national recognition: he was nominated for the prestigious Antigua and Barbuda Junior Sportsman of the Year award in both 2024 and 2025, and he has already logged training time with the country’s senior men’s national team, giving him valuable exposure to high-level competitive play.
Young Benna Boys head coach Shyan explained that the selection process for captain was far from straightforward, with the technical management team evaluating multiple candidates through a series of practice matches. Every contender got the chance to lead the squad in these test fixtures, allowing the coaching staff to closely monitor their on-pitch communication, decision-making under pressure, and ability to unify the team. After extensive observations and one-on-one conversations with each candidate, the management group landed on Barthley. “The final choice was not an easy one,” Shyan noted. “We had different guys captain the practice games, we monitored them and spoke to them. In the end, the management group was impressed with how Dajari handled the responsibilities. He is well respected by his teammates.”
As vice captain, Gumbs brings a stellar track record of performance from the qualifying stage to the squad. Born in Chicago, the goalkeeper was instrumental in securing Antigua and Barbuda’s spot in the final 12-team championship, notching four consecutive clean sheets across four qualifying wins held in Costa Rica. His defensive reliability will be a critical asset for the Young Benna Boys as they face off against some of North and Central America’s top under-20 talent.
For Antigua and Barbuda, the 2026 Concacaf Under-20 Championship carries extra regional significance: it is the only nation from the Eastern Caribbean to qualify for the final tournament. The team will get its campaign underway on July 24, when it faces tournament hosts Mexico at Puebla’s iconic Estadio Cuauhtémoc. Following the opening match, the Young Benna Boys will return to the pitch to take on Guatemala on July 27, before wrapping up their group stage play against Costa Rica on July 30.