The biggest day in football history in St. Kitts and Nevis will be on Sunday, 13th November, when Team St. Kitts-Nevis plays against a tough Caribbean rival coming out of Haiti, when they meet at the Football Stadium at Warner Park.
It is a great opportunity for football in the federation, as there is a strong chance for St. Kitts and Nevis to reach the finals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup to be played in the United States next year.
The St. Kitts and Nevis Football Association (SKNFA) invested heavily over the past months and years to build administrative, training and program structures that could seriously deliver a team that is capable of playing against strong international opponents.
One of the development strategies was providing international exposure in Europe and attendance at specialized training camps.
It is not surprising that officials of the SKNFA feel confident that the team is now at a level where the team is highly competitive. For several weeks running in the CFU Caribbean Cup period, the team had played unbeaten – Guiana the exception.
Stanley Jacobs, the SKNFA general secretary puts the mood in perspective. He said, “From the St. Kitts-Nevis Football Association’s point of view, our expectation is nothing short of a victory for Team St. Kitts and Nevis. We have done a lot of hard work over the last few months and have assembled a strong team, a team that is capable of winning this match.”
According to Jacobs, the advantage of playing at home before a home crowd brings into play the “twelfth man”, a source of energy for the players.
This is no ordinary game for Team St. Kitts, or the country, as the general secretary explained.
“This game is extremely important. We believe that this game might very well be the most important game in the history of St. Kitts and Nevis. We are this close. We are one victory away from making it to the CONCACAF Gold Cup, which will take place in the United States,” Jacobs passionately expressed.
For the country, as a whole, gaining a place for the Gold Cup also means significant exposure for the country, the general secretary indicated.
This is a game that is so important for Team St. Kitts and the country that Jacobs is urging fans to come out and support the national team in a big way.
“We want football fans to come out in their numbers. We want the stands, the entire venue packed with fans and supporters. We want the venue to be ‘ram-packed’. We want the place to be noisy,” Jacobs said.
To help along this quest, the SKNFA is offering a ‘two-fer’, a two-match access for the price of a single ticket. Jacobs explains why, “As you know, on the 19th November, we also play Estonia. We offer spectators, our fans, the opportunity to purchase a package deal – two games for the price of one.”
Estonia is coming to St. Kitts and Nevis on 18th February for the return leg of an international friendly.
Jacobs final advise for football fans? Take advantage of the package, and in any case come prepared.
He reiterates, “Wear the national colours. Come out to be loud, to be noisy in support of Team St. Kitts and Nevis and give the players the sort of energy they need to feed off of, as they play for a victory.”