Antigua and Barbuda national football team

Antigua and Barbuda national football team
The Antigua and Barbuda national football team is the national team of Antigua and Barbuda and is controlled by the Antigua and Barbuda Football Association, a member of the CONCACAF and the Caribbean Football Union (CFU). The team has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup or the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
History
First international match
On November 10th, 1972, Antigua and Barbuda's first match was a 1974 FIFA World Cup qualifying match versus Trinidad and Tobago in Port of Spain. The match was a 11-1 thrashing which to this day is this national team's worst defeat.
Friendlies against European teams
On 17 December 2005, the Antigua and Barbuda national team played their first match against a European opponent after the Hungarian Football Federation invited "the Benna Boys" to play Hungary in an international friendly at Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. This was the first match coached by former national striker Derrick Edwards. Hungary defeated Antigua and Barbuda 3–0.
On 2 May 2016, the Estonian Football Association announced that their national team would play Antigua and Barbuda in an international friendly on 22 November. It was the team's second match against a European opponent. Estonia won the game 1–0.
2018 drug bust in Jamaica
During the March 2018 FIFA Calendar Antigua and Barbuda played Jamaica, drawing 1–1 away at Sabina Park, levelling in the last seconds of match from a header from Peter Byers. Upon the team's preparation for their departure back to Antigua, assistant coach Derrick Edwards and equipment manager Danny Benjamin were arrested and charged with possession of, dealing in, and taking steps to export marijuana, and conspiracy at the Norman Manley International Airport. Initially, Edwards was awarded bail and Benjamin was held without bail; after a month, both Edwards and Benjamin were placed under house arrest and curfew and gave up their travel documents. Both men were acquitted of the crime on 14 June, citing there was not enough evidence to prove their involvement in the carrying the drugs with the intention of smuggling them out of Jamaica.
Team image
Nicknames
The official nickname of the Antigua and Barbuda national football team is "the Benna Boys", referring to a genre of Antiguan and Barbudan music similar to calypso. The name was selected in a contest with the fanbase in 2012 after the team advanced to the third round of the 2014 World Cup qualifiers. "The Benna Boys" beat out other entries in the contest such as "Beach Boys", "Iron Bandits", "Rhythm Warriors" and "Party Crashers". In the past, the national team was unofficially known as "the Wadadli Boys", another name that was in the contest but did not win.
Kit suppliers
The kit of the national team has been manufactured by Spanish-based Joma since March 2021, ahead of the first round of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.
Results and fixtures
The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
2023
Coaching staff
Current coaching staff
Manager history
The following is a list of head coaches of the Antigua and Barbuda national team throughout the years.
Players
Current squad
The following players were called up for the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup qualification match against Guadeloupe on 16 June 2023.
Caps and goals are correct as of 16 June 2023, after the match against Guadeloupe.
Recent call-ups
The following players have also been called up to the Antigua and Barbuda squad within the last twelve months.
Individual records
Players in bold are still active with Antigua and Barbuda.
Most appearances
Top goalscorers
Competitive record
FIFA World Cup
CONCACAF Gold Cup
CFU Caribbean Cup
***Red border color indicates that Antigua and Barbuda was the host nation.
Key
CONCACAF Nations League
Key
Head-to-head record
The following table shows Antigua and Barbuda's all-time official international record per opponent:
Key
Honours
CFU Caribbean Championship & Caribbean Cup:
Runners-up (1): 1988
Fourth place (3): 1978, 1983, 1998
References
External links
Caribbean national association football teams