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Antigua and Barbuda national football team facts for kids

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Antigua and Barbuda
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) The Benna Boys
Association Antigua and Barbuda Football Association (ABFA)
Confederation CONCACAF (North America)
Sub-confederation Caribbean Football Union (Caribbean)
Head coach Jacques Passy
Captain Quinton Griffith
Most caps Peter Byers (91)
Top scorer Peter Byers (44)
Home stadium Antigua Recreation Ground
Sir Vivian Richards Stadium
FIFA code ATG
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 126 Steady (7 February 2019)
Highest 70 (October 2014)
Lowest 170 (December 2003 – January 2004)
Elo ranking
Current 167 Decrease 5 (3 March 2019)
Highest 131 (November 2010)
Lowest 179 (November 2007)
First international
 Trinidad and Tobago 11–1 Antigua and Barbuda 
(Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago; 10 November 1972)
Biggest win
 Antigua and Barbuda 10–0 U.S. Virgin Islands 
(North Sound, Antigua & Barbuda; 11 October 2011)
Biggest defeat
 Trinidad and Tobago 11–1 Antigua and Barbuda 
(Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago; 10 November 1972)
CFU Championship/Caribbean Cup
Appearances 11 (first in 1978)
Best result Runners-up (1988)
Medal record
CFU Championship
Silver 1988 Martinique Team

The Antigua and Barbuda national football team plays for Antigua and Barbuda in international men's soccer games. The team is known as The Benna Boys.

The Antigua and Barbuda Football Association (ABFA) controls the team. This association started in 1928. It is a member of CONCACAF and the CFU. The team also joined FIFA in 1970. So far, the team has not qualified for the FIFA World Cup or the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Team History

First International Match

Antigua and Barbuda played its first game on November 10, 1972. It was a qualifying match for the 1974 FIFA World Cup. They played against Trinidad and Tobago in Port of Spain. Trinidad and Tobago won the game 11–1. This is still the team's biggest loss.

Friendly Games Against European Teams

On December 17, 2005, the team played its first game against a European opponent. The Hungarian Football Federation invited The Benna Boys to play Hungary. This friendly game took place in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Hungary won the match 3–0.

On May 2, 2016, the Estonian Football Association announced another friendly game. Estonia played Antigua and Barbuda on November 22. This was the team's second game against a European opponent. Estonia won the game 1–0.

Team Nickname: The Benna Boys

The official nickname for the Antigua and Barbuda national football team is "the Benna Boys." This name comes from a type of music from Antigua and Barbuda, similar to calypso. The team chose this name in a contest with their fans in 2012. This happened after they reached the third round of the 2014 World Cup qualifiers. "The Benna Boys" was chosen over other names like "Beach Boys" and "Rhythm Warriors." Before this, the team was sometimes called "the Wadadli Boys."

Team Uniforms

Since March 2021, the team's uniforms have been made by Joma. Joma is a Spanish company. They started supplying the uniforms before the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

Uniform Maker Years
Admiral 1995–1999
Virma [it] 2000–2003
Adidas 2006–2011
Peak 2012–2016
Admiral 2016–2020
Joma 2021–present

Recent Games

Here are the results from the last year and any games planned for the future.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024 Matches

5 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Antigua and Barbuda  1–1  Bermuda Piggotts, Antigua and Barbuda
15:00 UTC−4
  • Deterville Goal 26'
  • Ming Goal 90'
Stadium: ABFA Technical Centre
Attendance: 404
Referee: Adonis Carrasco (Dominican Republic)
8 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Cayman Islands  1–0  Antigua and Barbuda George Town, Cayman Islands
21:00 UTC−5
  • Campbell Goal 90+1'
Stadium: Truman Bodden Sports Complex
Attendance: 453
Referee: Pierre-Luc Lauzière (Canada)
7 September 2024-25 CONCACAF Nations League B Dominica  2–1  Antigua and Barbuda Piggotts, Antigua and Barbuda
16:00 UTC−4
  • Chad BertrandGoal 46'
  • Travist JosephGoal 57'
  • Javorn StevensGoal 53'
Stadium: ABFA Technical Center
Referee: Odette Hamilton (Jamaica)
10 September 2024-25 CONCACAF Nations League B Antigua and Barbuda  0–1  Bermuda Piggotts, Antigua and Barbuda
16:00 UTC−4
  • Kane CrichlowGoal 56'
Stadium: ABFA Technical Center
Referee: Tristley Bassue (St. Kitts and Nevis)
12 October 2024-25 CONCACAF Nations League B Antigua and Barbuda  0–5  Dominican Republic Hamilton, Bermuda
13:30 UTC−3
  • GarcíaGoal 11'
  • RomeroGoal 13'
  • VásquezGoal 39'
  • FirpoGoal 88, 90+2'
Stadium: National Sports Centre
Referee: Steven Madrigal (Costa Rica)
15 October 2024-25 CONCACAF Nations League B Dominican Republic  5–0  Antigua and Barbuda Hamilton, Bermuda
13:30 UTC−3
  • de LucasGoal 14'
  • MörschelGoal 35'
  • RomeroGoal 45+1'
  • FirpoGoal 52'
  • GarcíaGoal 75'
Stadium: National Sports Centre
Referee: Cristopher Corado(Guatemala)
16 November 2024-25 CONCACAF Nations League B Bermuda  2–1  Antigua and Barbuda Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic
15:00 UTC−4
  • Drew Goal 8' (o.g.)
  • Lambe Goal 48'
  • Massicot Goal 69'
Stadium: Estadio Cibao FC
Referee: Timothy Derry
19 November 2024-25 CONCACAF Nations League B Antigua and Barbuda  0–0  Dominica Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic
15:00 UTC−4 Stadium: Estadio Cibao FC
Referee: Timothy Derry

2025 Matches

6 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Antigua and Barbuda  0–1  Cuba Piggotts, Antigua and Barbuda
15:00 UTC−4
  • Pedro Bravo Goal 45+8'
Stadium: ABFA Technical Centre
Attendance: 428
Referee: Kwinsi Williams (Trinidad and Tobago)
10 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Honduras  2–0  Antigua and Barbuda Estadio Nacional Chelato Uclés, Tegucigalpa
20:00 UTC−6
  • Montes Goal 49'
  • Vega Goal 80'
Attendance: 7,905
Referee: Waldir García (El Salvador)

Coaching Staff

Current Coaching Staff

Name Job
Antigua and Barbuda Mikele Leigertwood Head coach
Antigua and Barbuda Neil Schyan Jeffers Assistant coach
Antigua and Barbuda Lenny Hewlett Assistant coach
Antigua and Barbuda Janiel Simon Goalkeeper coach
Antigua and Barbuda Evans Jones Trainer
Antigua and Barbuda Horatio Morrison Physiotherapist
Antigua and Barbuda Malcolm Challenger Equipment manager

Manager History

Piotr Nowak in 2016
Piotr Nowak from Poland was the manager when Antigua and Barbuda reached its highest FIFA ranking (70) in October 2014.

Here is a list of the head coaches for the Antigua and Barbuda national team over the years.

Name Time Period Games Wins Draws Losses Notes
West Germany Rudi Gutendorf 1976
Serbia and Montenegro Zoran Vraneš 1998–2000 Fourth place at the 1998 Caribbean Cup
Brazil Walter Gama 2001–2002
Antigua and Barbuda Rolston Williams 2004
Antigua and Barbuda Derrick Edwards 2005–2008
Scotland Willie Donachie 2008 16 8 3 5
Antigua and Barbuda Rowan Benjamin 2008–2011 11 4 3 4
England Tom Curtis 2011–2012 21 8 3 10 Reached the semifinal round of the 2014 World Cup Qualifiers
Antigua and Barbuda Rolston Williams 2012–2014 6 4 0 2
Poland Piotr Nowak 2014–2015 12 5 2 5 Highest FIFA Ranking (70) during his time
Antigua and Barbuda Rolston Williams 2015–2018 8 3 0 5
Antigua and Barbuda Derrick Edwards 2018–2019 6 2 1 3
Democratic Republic of the Congo Michél Dinzey 2019–2020 10 4 0 6
Antigua and Barbuda Mikele Leigertwood 2021– 9 5 1 3

Players

Current Team Members

These players were chosen for the 2024–25 CONCACAF Nations League B games. These matches were against Bermuda and Dominica in November 2024.

The numbers for games played (Caps) and goals are correct as of November 19, 2024. This was after the game against Dominica.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Jayden Martin (2002-11-07) 7 November 2002 (age 22) 1 0 Antigua and Barbuda All Saints United
18 1GK Shahoi Dorsett (2004-06-23) 23 June 2004 (age 21) 0 0 Antigua and Barbuda Aston Villa
21 1GK Taj Moore (2005-06-16) 16 June 2005 (age 20) 1 0 Canada Brock Badgers
1GK Zaieem Scott (2004-07-10) 10 July 2004 (age 21) 9 0 Antigua and Barbuda Grenades

2 2DF Zafique Drew (2003-08-30) 30 August 2003 (age 21) 11 0 Antigua and Barbuda All Saints United
5 2DF Luther James-Wildin (1997-12-03) 3 December 1997 (age 27) 4 0 England Stevenage
14 2DF Jahzinho O'Garro (2002-12-12) 12 December 2002 (age 22) 3 0 United States Oakland County FC
16 2DF Roneba Cordice (2005-11-25) 25 November 2005 (age 19) 4 0 United States Bridgton Academy
20 2DF Antonio Morgan (2006-03-29) 29 March 2006 (age 19) 6 0 England Bromley U21
2DF Vashami Allen (1997-05-09) 9 May 1997 (age 28) 15 0 Antigua and Barbuda Grenades
2DF Zaire Scott (2003-05-31) 31 May 2003 (age 22) 1 0 Antigua and Barbuda Grenades

6 3MF Tyrik Hughes (2005-07-13) 13 July 2005 (age 20) 7 0 Antigua and Barbuda Aston Villa
8 3MF Sean Tomlinson (2004-03-25) 25 March 2004 (age 21) 2 0 Antigua and Barbuda Grenades
10 3MF TJ Bramble (2001-05-09) 9 May 2001 (age 24) 17 2 England Welling United
3MF Dannen Francis (2004-12-14) 14 December 2004 (age 20) 2 0 England Fleetwood Town
3MF Daryl Massicot (2005-02-12) 12 February 2005 (age 20) 6 1 Antigua and Barbuda Grenades
3MF Dion Pereira (1999-03-25) 25 March 1999 (age 26) 9 1 England Dagenham & Redbridge
3MF Kendukar Challenger (1998-01-24) 24 January 1998 (age 27) 22 0 Antigua and Barbuda All Saints United
3MF Quinton Griffith (captain) (1992-02-27) 27 February 1992 (age 33) 87 10 Antigua and Barbuda Grenades
3MF Zahiem Green (2003-08-15) 15 August 2003 (age 21) 1 0 Antigua and Barbuda Hoppers

7 4FW Raheem Deterville (1999-12-01) 1 December 1999 (age 25) 20 2 Antigua and Barbuda Old Road
11 4FW Shalon Knight (2000-03-04) 4 March 2000 (age 25) 6 0 Antigua and Barbuda Swetes
12 4FW Keon Greene (2000-07-27) 27 July 2000 (age 24) 5 0 Antigua and Barbuda Potters FC
19 4FW D'Andre Bishop (2002-10-02) 2 October 2002 (age 22) 27 3 Antigua and Barbuda All Saints United
4FW Eroy Gonsalves (2006-09-18) 18 September 2006 (age 18) 2 0 Antigua and Barbuda Aston Villa
4FW Javorn Stevens (1998-05-09) 9 May 1998 (age 27) 36 4 Antigua and Barbuda Hoppers

Recent Call-ups

These players have also been called to the Antigua and Barbuda team in the last year.


Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Nick Townsend (1994-11-01) 1 November 1994 (age 30) 11 0 England Eastleigh v.  Dominican Republic; 15 October 2024
GK Brent Parker (1990-08-16) 16 August 1990 (age 34) 2 0 Antigua and Barbuda Swetes v.  Guyana; 21 November 2023

DF Daniel Bowry (1998-04-29) 29 April 1998 (age 27) 23 1 England Cray Valley Paper Mills v.  Dominican Republic; 15 October 2024
DF Kieron Richards (1995-06-29) 29 June 1995 (age 30) 13 0 Antigua and Barbuda Grenades v.  Dominican Republic; 15 October 2024
DF Tyrique Tonge (2001-03-14) 14 March 2001 (age 24) 13 0 Antigua and Barbuda SAP v.  Dominican Republic; 15 October 2024
DF Cardel Roberts (2001-05-04) 4 May 2001 (age 24) 7 0 Antigua and Barbuda Aston Villa v.  Bermuda; 10 September 2024
DF Shavorn Phillip (1996-09-09) 9 September 1996 (age 28) 21 1 Antigua and Barbuda Old Road v.  Cayman Islands; 8 June 2024
DF Aaron Taylor-Sinclair (1991-04-08) 8 April 1991 (age 34) 13 0 Scotland Airdrieonians v.  Guyana; 21 November 2023

MF Kwame Kirby (1998-11-17) 17 November 1998 (age 26) 6 0 Antigua and Barbuda Aston Villa v.  Bermuda; 10 September 2024
MF Ashley Nathaniel-George (1995-06-14) 14 June 1995 (age 30) 11 1 England Maidenhead United v.  Guyana; 21 November 2023

FW Eugine Kirwan (1993-01-01) 1 January 1993 (age 32) 23 1 Antigua and Barbuda Grenades v.  Dominican Republic; 15 October 2024
FW Shafeeq Joseph (2001-05-24) 24 May 2001 (age 24) 2 0 Antigua and Barbuda Pigotts Bullets v.  Dominican Republic; 15 October 2024
FW Josh Parker (1990-12-01) 1 December 1990 (age 34) 44 6 England Oxford City v.  Cayman Islands; 8 June 2024
FW Jalmaro Calvin (2003-06-30) 30 June 2003 (age 22) 1 0 Jamaica Cavalier v.  Cayman Islands; 8 June 2024
FW Dayonn Harris (1997-08-29) 29 August 1997 (age 27) 1 0 United States New Mexico United v.  Cayman Islands; 8 June 2024

Player Records

Players in bold are still playing for Antigua and Barbuda.
Peter-Byers-09-05-27
Peter Byers has played the most games and scored the most goals for Antigua and Barbuda.

Most Games Played

Rank Player Games Goals Years Played
1 Peter Byers 91 44 2004–2021
2 Quinton Griffith 87 10 2009–present
3 George Dublin 67 4 2000–2012
4 Tamorley Thomas 64 12 2002–2021
5 Karanja Mack 58 0 2006–present
6 Ranjae Christian 54 5 1998–2012
7 Randolph Burton 52 15 2008–2016
Akeem Thomas 52 2 2008–2018
9 Gayson Gregory 49 8 2000–2014
Molvin James 49 0 2007–2021

Top Goal Scorers

Rank Player Goals Games Ratio Years Played
1 Peter Byers 44 91 0.48 2004–2021
2 Derrick Edwards 18 22 0.82 1988–2000
3 Randolph Burton 15 52 0.29 2008–2016
4 Tamorley Thomas 12 64 0.19 2002–2021
5 Jamie Thomas 10 31 0.32 2006–2011
Quinton Griffith 10 87 0.11 2009–present
7 Myles Weston 9 16 0.56 2014–present
8 Garfield Gonsalves 8 29 0.28 1992–2008
Kerry Skepple 8 34 0.24 2002–2012
Gayson Gregory 8 49 0.16 2000–2014

Team Records in Competitions

FIFA World Cup Record

FIFA World Cup Qualification
Year Result Position Pld W D* L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
1930 to 1970 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member
West Germany 1974 Did not qualify 4 0 0 4 3 22
Argentina 1978 Did not enter Did not enter
Spain 1982
Mexico 1986 Did not qualify 2 1 0 1 2 5
Italy 1990 2 0 0 2 1 4
United States 1994 4 1 1 2 5 6
France 1998 2 0 1 1 4 6
South Korea Japan 2002 6 1 2 3 4 15
Germany 2006 2 1 0 1 2 3
South Africa 2010 4 2 0 2 7 8
Brazil 2014 12 5 1 6 32 18
Russia 2018 4 2 0 2 6 6
Qatar 2022 4 2 1 1 6 5
Canada Mexico United States 2026 4 0 1 3 1 5
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 To be determined To be determined
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total 0/13 50 15 7 28 73 103

CONCACAF Gold Cup Record

CONCACAF Championship & Gold Cup record Qualification record
Year Result Position Pld W D* L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
El Salvador 1963 Part of  United Kingdom Part of  United Kingdom
Guatemala 1965
Honduras 1967
Costa Rica 1969
Trinidad and Tobago 1971
Haiti 1973 Did not qualify 4 0 0 4 3 22
Mexico 1977 Did not enter Did not enter
Honduras 1981
1985 Did not qualify 2 1 0 1 2 5
1989 2 1 1 0 1 4
United States 1991 Did not enter Did not enter
Mexico United States 1993 Did not qualify 2 1 0 1 1 1
United States 1996 3 1 2 2 6 11
United States 1998 2 0 0 2 1 5
United States 2000 11 4 2 5 24 17
United States 2002 3 0 1 2 4 5
Mexico United States 2003 5 0 1 4 1 8
United States 2005 3 1 0 2 6 8
United States 2007 6 2 0 4 8 17
United States 2009 9 4 3 2 19 16
United States 2011 6 2 2 2 4 5
United States 2013 3 1 0 2 3 3
Canada United States 2015 9 4 2 3 14 11
United States 2017 6 3 0 3 10 8
Costa Rica Jamaica United States 2019 4 2 0 2 10 8
United States 2021 6 3 0 3 8 17
Canada United States 2023 7 3 0 4 5 12
Canada United States 2025 6 0 1 5 2 15
Total 0/23 99 33 15 51 132 198

CONCACAF Nations League Record

CONCACAF Nations League record
League Finals
Season Division Group Pld W D* L GF GA P/R Finals Results Pld W D L GF GA Squad
2019−20 B C 6 3 0 3 8 17 Same position United States 2021 Ineligible
2022–23 B A 6 3 0 3 5 7 Same position United States 2023
2023–24 B D 6 1 1 4 9 22 Same position United States 2024
2024–25 B D 6 0 1 5 2 15 Fall United States 2025
2026–27 C To be determined 2027
Total 24 7 2 15 24 61 Total 0 Titles

CFU Caribbean Cup Record

CFU Championship & Caribbean Cup record Qualification record
Year Result Position Pld W D* L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
Trinidad and Tobago 1978 Fourth place 4th 5 1 1 3 4 8 Squad 2 1 1 0 3 0
Suriname 1979 Did not qualify 2 0 0 2 0 2
Puerto Rico 1981 Did not enter Did not enter
French Guiana 1983 Fourth place 4th 7 2 2 3 11 10 Squad 4 2 2 0 10 5
Barbados 1985 Did not qualify 2 1 0 1 2 2
Martinique 1988 Runners-up 2nd 5 1 4 0 5 4 Squad 2 1 1 0 2 1
Barbados 1989 Did not qualify 4 3 0 1 4 2
Trinidad and Tobago 1990 3 0 1 2 2 5
Jamaica 1991 Did not enter Did not enter
Trinidad and Tobago 1992 Group stage 7th 3 0 1 2 2 12 Squad 3 3 0 0 8 0
Jamaica 1993 Did not qualify 2 1 0 1 1 1
Trinidad and Tobago 1994 2 1 0 1 10 3
Cayman Islands Jamaica 1995 Group stage 7th 3 1 0 2 3 8 Squad 2 0 2 0 3 3
Trinidad and Tobago 1996 Withdrew Withdrew
Antigua and Barbuda Saint Kitts and Nevis 1997 Group stage 6th 2 0 0 2 1 5 Squad Qualified as hosts
Jamaica Trinidad and Tobago 1998 Fourth place 4th 5 2 0 3 11 9 Squad 3 2 1 0 11 3
Trinidad and Tobago 1999 Did not qualify 3 0 1 2 2 5
Trinidad and Tobago 2001 3 0 1 2 4 5
Barbados 2005 3 1 0 2 6 8
Trinidad and Tobago 2007 6 2 0 4 8 17
Jamaica 2008 Group stage 7th 3 0 2 1 3 6 Squad 6 4 1 1 16 10
Martinique 2010 Group stage 5th 3 1 0 2 2 4 Squad 3 1 2 0 2 1
Antigua and Barbuda 2012 Group stage 8th 3 1 0 2 3 3 Squad Qualified as hosts
Jamaica 2014 Group stage 7th 3 0 1 2 2 7 Squad 6 4 1 1 12 4
Martinique 2017 Did not qualify 6 3 0 3 10 8
Total Runners-up 11/25 42 9 11 22 47 76 67 30 14 23 116 85
***A red border means Antigua and Barbuda was the host country.

Head-to-Head Record

This table shows how Antigua and Barbuda has played against other teams in official international games.

Key

      Winning record       Equal record       Losing record

Opponent Pld W D L GF GA
 Anguilla 5 5 0 0 28 3
 Aruba 5 5 0 0 11 4
 Bahamas 3 2 1 0 12 3
 Barbados 8 1 1 6 9 16
 Bermuda 14 3 5 6 14 18
 British Virgin Islands 8 4 2 2 14 10
 Cayman Islands 3 0 1 2 1 4
 Cuba 8 0 1 7 4 19
 Curaçao 4 3 0 1 10 6
 Dominica 17 8 5 4 28 20
 Dominican Republic 8 1 2 5 8 21
 El Salvador 1 0 0 1 0 3
 Estonia 1 0 0 1 0 1
 French Guiana 1 1 0 0 2 1
 Grenada 6 3 3 0 13 7
 Guadeloupe 7 2 1 4 4 12
 Guatemala 8 1 0 7 3 31
 Guyana 14 5 3 6 16 33
 Haiti 12 2 3 7 11 19
 Honduras 2 0 0 2 0 3
 Hungary 1 0 0 1 0 3
 Jamaica 12 1 2 9 5 29
 Martinique 4 1 0 3 6 12
 Mexico 1 0 0 1 0 8
 Montserrat 4 3 1 0 20 6
 Puerto Rico 4 1 0 3 5 10
 Saint Kitts and Nevis 23 9 5 9 30 31
 Saint Lucia 14 5 3 6 23 18
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 13 7 2 4 17 20
 Sint Maarten 3 2 0 1 7 2
 Suriname 6 1 2 3 4 15
 Trinidad and Tobago 13 2 0 11 12 41
 U.S. Virgin Islands 5 5 0 0 26 1
 United States 2 0 0 2 2 5
Total 238 83 42 113 341 424

Honors

Regional Awards

  • CFU Championship
    • 2 Runners-up (1): 1988

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Antigua y Barbuda para niños

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