Antigua and Barbuda national football team

This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Antigua and Barbuda women's national football team.

Antigua and Barbuda

Nickname(s)	The Benna Boys
Association	Antigua and Barbuda Football Association
Confederation	CONCACAF (North America)
Sub-confederation	Caribbean Football Union (Caribbean)
Head coach	Mikele Leigertwood
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	161 1 (19 December 2024) [1]
Highest	70 (October 2014)
Lowest	170 (December 2003 – January 2004)
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 1988 Martinique Team

The Antigua and Barbuda national football team is the national team of Antigua and Barbuda.

Founded in 1928, ^[2] it 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 10, 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. ^[3]

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. ^[4]

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. ^[5] 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.^{[ citation needed ]}

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". ^[6] In the past, the national team was unofficially known as "the Wadadli Boys", another name that was in the contest but did not win. ^[7]

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.^{[ citation needed ]}

Kit manufacturer	Time period
Admiral	1995–1999
Virma  [ it ]	2000–2003
Adidas	2006–2011
Peak	2012–2016
Admiral	2016–2020
Joma	2021–present

Results and fixtures

Main article: Antigua and Barbuda national football team results

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

  Win  Draw  Loss  Fixture

2024

Antigua and Barbuda   v   Bermuda

5 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Antigua and Barbuda	1–1	Bermuda	Piggotts, Antigua and Barbuda
15:00  UTC−4	Deterville 26'	Report (FIFA) Report (CONCACAF)	Ming 90'	Stadium: ABFA Technical Centre Attendance: 404 Referee: Adonis Carrasco (Dominican Republic)

Cayman Islands   v   Antigua and Barbuda

8 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Cayman Islands	1–0	Antigua and Barbuda	George Town, Cayman Islands
21:00  UTC−5	Campbell 90+1'	Report (FIFA) Report (CONCACAF)		Stadium: Truman Bodden Sports Complex Attendance: 453 Referee: Pierre-Luc Lauzière (Canada)

Dominica   v   Antigua and Barbuda

7 September 2024-25 CONCACAF Nations League B	Dominica	2-1	Antigua and Barbuda	Piggotts, Antigua and Barbuda
16:00  UTC−4	Chad Bertrand 46' Travist Joseph 57'	Report	Javorn Stevens 53'	Stadium: ABFA Technical Center Referee: Odette Hamilton (Jamaica)

Antigua and Barbuda   v   Bermuda

10 September 2024-25 CONCACAF Nations League B	Antigua and Barbuda	0-1	Bermuda	Piggotts, Antigua and Barbuda
16:00  UTC−4		Report	Kane Crichlow 56'	Stadium: ABFA Technical Center Referee: Tristley Bassue (St. Kitts and Nevis)

Antigua and Barbuda   v   Dominican Republic

12 October 2024-25 CONCACAF Nations League B	Antigua and Barbuda	0-5	Dominican Republic	Hamilton, Bermuda
13:30  UTC−3		Report	García 11' Romero 13' Vásquez 39' Firpo 88, 90+2'	Stadium: National Sports Centre Referee: Steven Madrigal (Costa Rica)

Dominican Republic   v   Antigua and Barbuda

15 October 2024-25 CONCACAF Nations League B	Dominican Republic	5-0	Antigua and Barbuda	Hamilton, Bermuda
13:30  UTC−3	de Lucas 14' Mörschel 35' Romero 45+1' Firpo 52' García 75'	Report		Stadium: National Sports Centre Referee: Cristopher Corado(Guatemala)

Bermuda   v   Antigua and Barbuda

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 8' (o.g.) Lambe 48'	Report	Massicot 69'	Stadium: Estadio Cibao FC Referee: Timothy Derry

Antigua and Barbuda   v   Dominica

19 November 2024-25 CONCACAF Nations League B	Antigua and Barbuda	0-0	Dominica	Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic
15:00  UTC−4		Report		Stadium: Estadio Cibao FC Referee: Timothy Derry

2025

Antigua and Barbuda   v   Cuba

6 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Antigua and Barbuda	v	Cuba
--:--  UTC−4

Honduras   v   Antigua and Barbuda

10 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Honduras	v	Antigua and Barbuda
--:--  UTC−6

Coaching staff

Current coaching staff

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

Manager history

Polish manager Piotr Nowak was at the helm of Antigua and Barbuda when they achieved their highest FIFA ranking (70) in October 2014.

The following is a list of head coaches of the Antigua and Barbuda national team throughout the years.^{[ citation needed ]}

Name	Period	Matches	Wins	Draws	Losses	Notes
Rudi Gutendorf	1976
Zoran Vraneš	1998–2000					Fourth place at the 1998 Caribbean Cup
Walter Gama	2001–2002
Rolston Williams	2004
Derrick Edwards	2005–2008
Willie Donachie	2008	16	8	3	5
Rowan Benjamin	2008–2011	11	4	3	4
Tom Curtis	2011–2012	21	8	3	10	Semifinal round of the 2014 World Cup Qualifiers
Rolston Williams	2012–2014	6	4	0	2
Piotr Nowak	2014–2015	12	5	2	5	Highest FIFA Ranking (70) under his tenure
Rolston Williams	2015–2018	8	3	0	5
Derrick Edwards	2018–2019	6	2	1	3
Michél Dinzey	2019–2020	10	4	0	6
Mikele Leigertwood	2021–	9	5	1	3

Players

Current squad

The following players were called up for the 2024–25 CONCACAF Nations League B matches against Bermuda and Dominica on 16 and 19 November 2024. ^[8]

Caps and goals are correct as of 19 November 2024, after the match against   Dominica .

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
	1 GK	Zaieem Scott	(2004-07-10) 10 July 2004 (age 20)	9	0	Grenades
	1 GK	Jayden Martin	(2002-11-07) 7 November 2002 (age 22)	1	0	All Saints United
	1 GK	Taj Moore	(2005-06-16) 16 June 2005 (age 19)	1	0	Brock Badgers
	2 DF	Vashami Allen	(1997-05-09) 9 May 1997 (age 27)	15	0	Grenades
	2 DF	Zafique Drew	(2003-08-30) 30 August 2003 (age 21)	11	0	All Saints United
	2 DF	Antonio Morgan	(2006-03-29) 29 March 2006 (age 18)	6	0	Bromley U21
	2 DF	Roneba Cordice	(2005-11-25) 25 November 2005 (age 19)	4	0	Bridgton Academy
	2 DF	Jahzinho O'Garro	(2002-12-12) 12 December 2002 (age 22)	3	0	Oakland County FC
	2 DF	Zaire Scott	(2003-05-31) 31 May 2003 (age 21)	1	0	Grenades
	3 MF	Quinton Griffith (captain)	(1992-02-27) 27 February 1992 (age 33)	87	10	Grenades
	3 MF	Kendukar Challenger	(1998-01-24) 24 January 1998 (age 27)	22	0	All Saints United
	3 MF	Dion Pereira	(1999-03-25) 25 March 1999 (age 25)	9	1	Dagenham & Redbridge
	3 MF	Tyrik Hughes	(2005-07-13) 13 July 2005 (age 19)	7	0	Aston Villa
	3 MF	Daryl Massicot	(2005-02-12) 12 February 2005 (age 20)	6	1	Grenades
	3 MF	Dannen Francis	(2004-12-14) 14 December 2004 (age 20)	2	0	Fleetwood Town
	3 MF	Zahiem Green	(2003-08-15) 15 August 2003 (age 21)	1	0	Hoppers
	4 FW	Javorn Stevens	(1998-05-09) 9 May 1998 (age 26)	36	4	Hoppers
	4 FW	D'Andre Bishop	(2002-10-02) 2 October 2002 (age 22)	27	3	All Saints United
	4 FW	Raheem Deterville	(1999-12-01) 1 December 1999 (age 25)	20	2	Old Road
	4 FW	Keon Greene	(2000-07-27) 27 July 2000 (age 24)	5	0	Potters FC
	4 FW	Eroy Gonsalves	(2006-09-18) 18 September 2006 (age 18)	2	0	Aston Villa

Recent call-ups

The following players have also been called up to the Antigua and Barbuda squad within the last twelve months.

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	Newport County	v.   Dominican Republic ; 15 October 2024
GK	Shahoi Dorsett	(2004-06-23) 23 June 2004 (age 20)	0	0	Aston Villa	v.   Bermuda ; 10 September 2024
GK	Brent Parker	(1990-08-16) 16 August 1990 (age 34)	2	0	Swetes	v.   Guyana ; 21 November 2023
DF	Daniel Bowry	(1998-04-29) 29 April 1998 (age 26)	23	1	St Albans City	v.   Dominican Republic ; 15 October 2024
DF	Kieron Richards	(1995-06-29) 29 June 1995 (age 29)	13	0	Grenades	v.   Dominican Republic ; 15 October 2024
DF	Tyrique Tonge	(2001-03-14) 14 March 2001 (age 23)	13	0	SAP	v.   Dominican Republic ; 15 October 2024
DF	Cardel Roberts	(2001-05-04) 4 May 2001 (age 23)	7	0	Aston Villa	v.   Bermuda ; 10 September 2024
DF	Shavorn Phillip	(1996-09-09) 9 September 1996 (age 28)	21	1	Old Road	v.   Cayman Islands ; 8 June 2024
DF	Aaron Taylor-Sinclair	(1991-04-08) 8 April 1991 (age 33)	13	0	Airdrieonians	v.   Guyana ; 21 November 2023
MF	Sean Tomlinson	(2004-03-25) 25 March 2004 (age 20)	2	0	Grenades	v.   Dominican Republic ; 15 October 2024
MF	Kwame Kirby	(1998-11-17) 17 November 1998 (age 26)	6	0	Aston Villa	v.   Bermuda ; 10 September 2024
MF	TJ Bramble	(2001-05-09) 9 May 2001 (age 23)	17	2	Welling United	v.   Cayman Islands ; 8 June 2024
MF	Ashley Nathaniel-George	(1995-06-14) 14 June 1995 (age 29)	11	1	Maidenhead United	v.   Guyana ; 21 November 2023
FW	Eugine Kirwan	(1993-01-01) 1 January 1993 (age 32)	23	1	Grenades	v.   Dominican Republic ; 15 October 2024
FW	Shafeeq Joseph	(2001-05-24) 24 May 2001 (age 23)	2	0	Pigotts Bullets	v.   Dominican Republic ; 15 October 2024
FW	Josh Parker	(1990-12-01) 1 December 1990 (age 34)	44	6	Oxford City	v.   Cayman Islands ; 8 June 2024
FW	Jalmaro Calvin	(2003-06-30) 30 June 2003 (age 21)	1	0	Cavalier	v.   Cayman Islands ; 8 June 2024
FW	Dayonn Harris	(1997-08-29) 29 August 1997 (age 27)	1	0	New Mexico United	v.   Cayman Islands ; 8 June 2024
FW	Shalon Knight	(2000-03-04) 4 March 2000 (age 24)	6	0	Swetes	v.   Guyana ; 21 November 2023

Player records

As of 19 November 2024 ^[9]

Players in bold are still active with Antigua and Barbuda.

Peter Byers is Antigua and Barbuda's top goalscorer and most-capped player.

Most appearances

Rank	Player	Caps	Goals	Career
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 goalscorers

Rank	Player	Goals	Caps	Ratio	Career
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

Competitive record

FIFA World Cup

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
1974	Did not qualify										4	0	0	4	3	22
1978	Did not enter										Did not enter
1982
1986	Did not qualify										2	1	0	1	2	5
1990											2	0	0	2	1	4
1994											4	1	1	2	5	6
1998											2	0	1	1	4	6
2002											6	1	2	3	4	15
2006											2	1	0	1	2	3
2010											4	2	0	2	7	8
2014											12	5	1	6	32	18
2018											4	2	0	2	6	6
2022											4	2	1	1	6	5
2026	To be determined										2	0	1	1	1	2
2030											To be determined
2034
Total		0/13									48	15	7	26	73	100

CONCACAF Gold Cup

CONCACAF Championship & Gold Cup record											Qualification record
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1963	Part of   United Kingdom										Part of   United Kingdom
1965
1967
1969
1971
1973	Did not qualify										4	0	0	4	3	22
1977	Did not enter										Did not enter
1981
1985	Did not qualify										2	1	0	1	2	5
1989											2	1	1	0	1	4
1991	Did not enter										Did not enter
1993	Did not qualify										2	1	0	1	1	1
1996											3	1	2	2	6	11
1998											2	0	0	2	1	5
2000											11	4	2	5	24	17
2002											3	0	1	2	4	5
2003											5	0	1	4	1	8
2005											3	1	0	2	6	8
2007											6	2	0	4	8	17
2009											9	4	3	2	19	16
2011											6	2	2	2	4	5
2013											3	1	0	2	3	3
2015											9	4	2	3	14	11
2017											6	3	0	3	10	8
2019											4	2	0	2	10	8
2021											6	3	0	3	8	17
2023											7	3	0	4	5	12
Total		0/22									93	33	14	46	130	183

CONCACAF Nations League

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			2021	Ineligible
2022–23	B	A	6	3	0	3	5	7			2023
2023–24	B	D	6	1	1	4	9	22			2024
2024–25	B	D	6	0	1	5	2	15			2025
2026–27	C	To be determined									2027
Total	—	—	24	7	2	15	24	61	—		Total	0 Titles	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

CONCACAF Nations League history
First match	Jamaica 6–0 Antigua and Barbuda   (6 September 2019; Montego Bay, Jamaica)
Biggest win	Antigua and Barbuda   4–1   Bahamas (14 October 2023; Nassau, Bahamas)
Biggest defeat	Jamaica 6–0 Antigua and Barbuda   (6 September 2019; Montego Bay, Jamaica)   Guyana 6–0 Antigua and Barbuda   (21 November 2023; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic)
Best result	—
Worst result	—

CFU Caribbean Cup

CFU Championship & Caribbean Cup record											Qualification record
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1978	Fourth place	4th	5	1	1	3	4	8	Squad		2	1	1	0	3	0
1979	Did not qualify										2	0	0	2	0	2
1981	Did not enter										Did not enter
1983	Fourth place	4th	7	2	2	3	11	10	Squad		4	2	2	0	10	5
1985	Did not qualify										2	1	0	1	2	2
1988	Runners-up	2nd	5	1	4	0	5	4	Squad		2	1	1	0	2	1
1989	Did not qualify										4	3	0	1	4	2
1990											3	0	1	2	2	5
1991	Did not enter										Did not enter
1992	Group stage	7th	3	0	1	2	2	12	Squad		3	3	0	0	8	0
1993	Did not qualify										2	1	0	1	1	1
1994											2	1	0	1	10	3
1995	Group stage	7th	3	1	0	2	3	8	Squad		2	0	2	0	3	3
1996	Withdrew										Withdrew
1997	Group stage	6th	2	0	0	2	1	5	Squad		Qualified as hosts
1998	Fourth place	4th	5	2	0	3	11	9	Squad		3	2	1	0	11	3
1999	Did not qualify										3	0	1	2	2	5
2001											3	0	1	2	4	5
2005											3	1	0	2	6	8
2007											6	2	0	4	8	17
2008	Group stage	7th	3	0	2	1	3	6	Squad		6	4	1	1	16	10
2010	Group stage	5th	3	1	0	2	2	4	Squad		3	1	2	0	2	1
2012	Group stage	8th	3	1	0	2	3	3	Squad		Qualified as hosts
2014	Group stage	7th	3	0	1	2	2	7	Squad		6	4	1	1	12	4
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

***Red border color indicates that Antigua and Barbuda was the host nation.

Head-to-head record

The following table shows Antigua and Barbuda's all-time official international record per opponent: ^[10]

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	7	0	1	6	4	18
Curaçao	4	3	0	1	10	6
Dominica	16	8	4	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	1	0	0	1	0	1
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	235	83	41	111	341	421

Honours

Regional

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

References

1. '"`UNIQ--templatestyles-00000006-QINU`"' "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking". FIFA. 19 December 2024. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
2. "ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA". Concacaf. 7 March 2021. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
3. "Caribbean Net News: Hungary beat Antigua-Barbuda in exhibition match". caribbeannewsnow.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2016. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
4. "Eesti Jalgpalli Liit". jalgpall.ee. Archived from the original on 4 June 2016. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
5. Helps, HG (1 April 2018). "A coach's ganja plan". Jamaica Observer . Archived from the original on 2 April 2018. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
6. "Text to 774 – 3307 your choice for the name the team contest". Archived from the original on 28 May 2016. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
7. "Football (Soccer) Team Nicknames". www.topendsports.com. Archived from the original on 28 July 2017. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
8. "Final Squad". Facebook. ABFA - Antigua And Barbuda Football Association.
9. "Antigua and Barbuda". National Football Teams.
10. "Antigua And Barbuda national football team statistics and records: All-time record". 11v11.com. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 22 November 2014.

External links

• Official website