Fresh off a historic home victory that earned them three points in the first half of the September-October FIFA international break, Saint Lucia’s senior men’s national football team has traveled to Barbados with one clear goal: secure consecutive wins against Guadeloupe in their upcoming two matches. The first clash between the two sides is scheduled for 3 p.m. Friday at the Wildey Technical Centre, with a return fixture kicking off at the same time the following Monday.
Led by newly appointed head coach Rajesh Latchoo, the Piton Boyz notched their largest ever home win in Concacaf Nations League history earlier this week, routing Bermuda 5-2 on Monday night at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground. The standout performance of the match came from striker Kegan Caull, who netted a hat-trick to power his side’s victory, while 23-year-old defender Arkell Jude-Boyd made a long-awaited home senior debut for the squad.
Though Jude-Boyd, currently plying his trade with English side Shrewsbury Town, has seven senior caps to his name, Monday’s match marked his first time appearing for the national side on home turf. The young defender shared that the experience was more than worth the years of waiting, even without his family in attendance to cheer him on.
“I’ve visited this stadium so many times before, but due to previous complications, I never got the chance to step onto the pitch for a competitive match,” Jude-Boyd said. “Just being out there representing my country at home was an absolutely amazing feeling. Unfortunately, my family couldn’t make the trip to be in the stands today, but even without them here, it’s an experience I’ll never forget.”
Despite the thrilling five-goal result, the team has shown clear defensive vulnerabilities through their first two matches of the qualifying window, conceding four goals total. Latchoo has repeatedly emphasized that the squad needs to tighten its organization at the back to improve results. While key defender Chris Forino-Joseph of Bolton Wanderers is expected to rejoin the squad for the November international break, the Piton Boyz will have to face the in-form Gwada Boyz (Guadeloupe’s national nickname) without his presence this round.
For Latchoo, the end goal remains clear: pick up all six available points from the two upcoming Guadeloupe matches to push the team toward a top position in the group. “Our target is to take all the remaining points on offer, to get to 12, and once we hit 15 points, we’ll control our own destiny for qualification,” the coach explained. “But we can’t do this alone. We need the Saint Lucian public to get fully behind the team 100 percent. If the fans give us their full support, the players will always give 100 percent effort in return.”
The squad has received a timely attacking boost ahead of the two Barbados-based matches, with in-form Colorado Rapids forward Donavan “Gusto” Phillip linking up with the team following his strong form in Major League Soccer. The 21-year-old has found the back of the net in his last two consecutive MLS appearances, giving Latchoo a dynamic new option to deploy up front against Guadeloupe.
The head coach noted that the squad will continue leaning into its attacking strengths while working to fix its defensive lapses. “We know where we need to improve, and we’re working every day to close the gap on our weaknesses,” Latchoo said. “In previous matches, we’ve had periods where we switched off and gave opponents too much space to work with. Now, the focus is on managing that concentration over 90 minutes, tightening our play both in possession and when we’re without the ball.”
Phillip joins a surprisingly young core for Saint Lucia, alongside the likes of Jude-Boyd, 22-year-old Caull, 22-year-old Shaquan Nelson, and 18-year-old Shevon Byron. Latchoo also addressed Caull’s current situation, noting that the in-form striker is out of contract at the club level, and the coaching staff has had to carefully manage his minutes to help him rebuild match fitness after an extended break from competitive action.
“Going into the camp, we knew Kegan was a little rusty because he hadn’t played a full competitive match in a while,” Latchoo explained. “So we structured his training and playing time carefully, building him up to peak at the right time as he works his way back to his best form.”
As of September 30, the current Concacaf rankings reflect the gap between the two sides: Guadeloupe sits 15th out of 41 member territories, while Saint Lucia ranks 28th. In Group B, Bermuda holds 24th place and hosts Barbados is 30th. Heading into the second week of the international window, Guadeloupe and Barbados share the top spot in Group B with four points apiece, after each earned one win and one draw in matches hosted by Saint Lucia during the first half of the break.