The third annual Caribbean Youth Challenge, a flagship event tied to the regional “Kick Out Crime and Violence” social initiative, wrapped up a week of high-intensity youth football action with five final-round matches at Saint Lucia’s Francis Baba Lastic Grounds in Gros Islet. Organized by the Gros Islet Football League, the tournament brought together the island nation’s most promising young footballers, plus a visiting youth squad from Barbados’ National Sports Council (NSC) to compete for regional honors across age divisions.
Competing exclusively in the Under-14 bracket, the Barbadian NSC Tridents turned heads throughout the week with an undefeated run to the tournament final. The side earned its spot in the title clash after a solid 3-1 semi-final win over local side Lancers FC. In the other Under-14 semi-final, Saint Lucia’s NYAH FC secured a 2-0 shutout against Monchy United, with striker Mavalon Bernard putting on a first-half masterclass, finding the back of the net just one minute into the match and adding a second in the 16th minute to seal the win.
In the hotly contested Under-14 final, it was NYAH FC that claimed the regional title, thanks to a decisive ninth-minute goal from Darnell Boohlie that held up as the match-winner. Despite falling short of the top spot, NSC Tridents coaching staff described the cross-border trip as a rewarding developmental experience for their young players. In the division’s third-place playoff, Monchy United took home the bronze with a 2-0 victory over Lancers FC.
The Under-17 division crowned GMC United as its new champion, extending the club’s multi-year streak of strong performances in Saint Lucia’s youth football circuit. The Corinth-based side delivered a dominant display in the marquee final, shutting out Valley Soccer 3-0 to claim the title. Sherdon Sylvester opened the scoring for GMC in the 27th minute, captain Shaquil Martelly doubled the lead right before halftime in the 42nd, and Devonate Ayemany put the result beyond doubt with a third goal in the 55th minute.
Marchand punched their ticket to the Under-17 final with a convincing 2-0 semi-final win over NYAH FC, while New Generation advanced with a 3-0 victory against Pioneers, benefiting from an early own goal before adding two more first-half strikes to secure their spot in the title match. In the Under-17 final, held on the same day as the popular Babonneau Carnival, New Generation claimed the silver division title with a 2-0 win over Marchand, with Dershavee St Marthe scoring in the 10th minute and Jackson Joseph adding a second just nine minutes later to seal the victory. In the third-place playoff, Pioneers defeated NYAH FC 3-1 on penalties after the two sides finished regular time tied 1-1.
Beyond the two published age divisions, the tournament also crowned New Generation FC as Under-11 champions, marking a successful multi-division outing for the Saint Lucian club during the 2026 edition of the challenge.