On a celebratory Saturday night at Gros Islet’s Bay Gardens Hotel, the Saint Lucia Football Association Inc. (SLFA) brought together the island’s top football talent, coaches, administrators and supporters for its annual National Awards Ceremony, held under the unifying theme “Taking Football To Higher Heights”. The evening served as a formal tribute to 12 months of outstanding achievement, resilience, and growth across every level of the domestic game, with two clubs emerging as the biggest winners of the night.
Leading the pack of honorees was La Clery, a side that turned in a historic campaign across domestic and regional competition over the past year. The club claimed the most prestigious team honor of the ceremony: Team of the Year. The award capped a dominant run in the Saint Lucia Semi-Professional League, where the side outperformed every competitor, as well as a gritty, memorable showing in the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Club Shield. La Clery also notched a second-place finish in the first-ever edition of the Blackheart Under-20 tournament, underscoring the depth of talent across its youth and senior rosters.
Zaine Pierre, La Clery’s head coach and a former captain of Saint Lucia’s national men’s team, was recognized with the Coach of the Year award for his transformative leadership. A holder of the Concacaf B Licence, Pierre has seamlessly translated the tactical discipline and competitive instincts he honed as a star player into elite touchline management. Under his guidance, La Clery has developed into a disciplined, attacking-focused side that dominates domestic competition and holds its own against top regional clubs.
The club’s standout goalkeeper Devone St Prix, who anchors the defense for the north Castries-based side, took home one of the night’s top individual honors: Male Footballer of the Year. The award solidified St Prix’s reputation as the top shot-stopper in all of Saint Lucian domestic football, following a season of game-changing saves and consistent leadership between the posts.
Vieux Fort South (VFS), another of the island’s most improved and ambitious clubs, followed closely behind La Clery in major honors, capping a breakthrough season with the League of the Year title. The side claimed the championship of the inaugural Blackheart Under-20 tournament and finished as runners-up in the Saint Lucia Semi-Professional League, marking a year of sustained progress across all age groups.
VFS’s Examin Philbert earned the League Administrator of the Year award for his extraordinary leadership amid challenging circumstances. Stepping into his role following a tragic loss, Philbert united players, mobilized fan support, and secured critical corporate sponsorship through Jannou Credit Union. Under his leadership, VFS has launched vibrant youth competitions and maintained competitiveness across every national youth and senior division, building a sustainable model for club success.
Ahead of the main team and coaching honors, the SLFA recognized top individual talent across men’s, women’s, youth and officiating ranks. National women’s team captain Racquel John was named Female Footballer of the Year, capping a year of strong leadership and standout performances for club and country. Shaquil Martelly, a young striker for GMC United and Gros Islet, took home Junior Male Footballer of the Year for his exceptional play at the Under-16 level. Junior Female Footballer of the Year went to Kayla Polius, who made history at the CFU Under-14 Championship last year by scoring three consecutive hat-tricks, emerging as one of the island’s most exciting young attacking prospects.
Longstanding FIFA referee Renlee Napoleon was honored as Football Referee of the Year, recognizing his consistent off-pitch contributions and high-standard officiating across top national competitions. Dara Wilson received the evening’s Staff Appreciation Award, honoring the unsung work that keeps Saint Lucian football running at all levels.
The gala closed as a celebration of the island football community’s collective progress over the past year, aligning with the ceremony’s theme of pushing Saint Lucia football to new competitive heights ahead of the next 12 months of domestic and regional competition.