Cayman Islands national football team
![]() | |||
Association | Cayman Islands Football Association | ||
---|---|---|---|
Confederation | CONCACAF (North America) | ||
Sub-confederation | CFU (Caribbean) | ||
Head coach | Joey Jap Tjong[1] | ||
Captain | D'Andre Rowe[1] | ||
Most caps | Ian Lindo Mark Ebanks (23) | ||
Top scorer | Lee Ramoon (12) | ||
Home stadium | Truman Bodden Sports Complex | ||
FIFA code | CAY | ||
| |||
FIFA ranking | |||
Current | 195 ![]() | ||
Highest | 127 (November 1995) | ||
Lowest | 206 (April 2019) | ||
First international | |||
![]() ![]() (Roseau, Dominica; 3 March 1985) | |||
Biggest win | |||
![]() ![]() (Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; 2 March 1994) ![]() ![]() (Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; 4 March 1994) | |||
Biggest defeat | |||
![]() ![]() (Bradenton, United States; 29 March 2021) |
The Cayman Islands national football team is the national team of the Cayman Islands, and is controlled by the Cayman Islands Football Association. It is a member of FIFA and CONCACAF. Cayman Islands' home ground is Truman Bodden Stadium in George Town, and their head coach is Joey Jap Tjong. Tjong replaced Cláudio Garcia in February 2024. Garcia had replaced Ben Pugh, who was appointed in 2018, when the Cayman Islands national team had failed to win a single game in over nine years, sinking to 206 in the FIFA World Rankings. Under Pugh, they advanced 13 places in the rankings, winning four out of their six matches during the 2019–20 Nations League season.
History
[edit]1985–2000
[edit]The Caymanian football team played its first international match on 3 March 1985, against Dominica, in Roseau, as part of the 1985 CFU Championship. They lost that match 2–1 with Lee Ramoon - who would go on to become the team's top scorer - opening the scoring.
They qualified for the 1991 Caribbean Cup, falling in the first round. They returned to the tournament in 1994, suffering the same fate. However, the following year, the Cayman Islands jointly organized with Jamaica the 1995 Caribbean Cup, reaching the semi-finals. It fell to Trinidad and Tobago by a scandalous 2–9. In the match for 3rd place, they were defeated by Cuba 0–3. They would qualify again in 1998 although they failed to get past the group stage. They have not played a Caribbean Cup final phase since then.
The Cayman Islands participated in their first World Cup qualifying tie in the 1998 where they succumbed in the first round at the hands of Cuba, who eliminated them after winning twice 0–1 and 0–5.
2000–2010
[edit]In 2000, given the status of the Cayman Islands as one of the British overseas territories, the national team attempted to use this as a loophole to call up a number of uncapped players possessing British passports but who had no specific links to the islands. Barry McIntosh, a football agent, was called in to scout players for an upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifier against Cuba and ultimately he secured eight players i.e. Wayne Allison (Tranmere Rovers), Ged Brannan (Motherwell), David Barnett (Lincoln City), Martin O'Connor (Birmingham City), Dwayne Plummer (Bristol City), Barry Hayles (Fulham), Neville Roach (Southend United) and Neil Sharpe (Boreham Wood). With the exception of Allison the players all appeared in a 5–0 friendly defeat against D.C. United but before they could appear in any official internationals FIFA stepped in and barred the players from representing the Cayman Islands due to their failure to satisfy the existing rules for national team eligibility.[4] Of the eight players only Hayles went on to play international football, appearing for Jamaica ten times.
In the first round of the 2002 qualifiers, Cayman Islands was once again eliminated by Cuba, winning 4–0 in Havana and drawing 0–0 in George Town. History repeated itself four years later, in the 2006 qualifiers, since the Cubans eliminated the Caymanian team from the World Cup for the third time in a row (1–2 in George Town and 4–0 in Havana).
Things didn't change significantly for the 2010 qualifiers, only this time it was Bermuda that eliminated the Cayman Islands in the first round, 4–2 on aggregate. Regardless, this tie saw the Caymanians earn their first points away from home, earning a 1–1 draw at Hamilton on 3 February 2008, with Allean Grant scoring in the 87th minute.
2010–present
[edit]Qualifying directly into the second round of the 2014 qualifiers, the Cayman Islands were drawn in group A along with their peers from El Salvador, the Dominican Republic and Suriname. They lost 5 games out of 6, rescuing a 1-1 draw on the last day, on 14 November 2011, against the Dominicans. The Caymanian team did not play any match again in the next few years, since declining their participation in the 2012 and 2014 Caribbean Cups. But they returned to the 2018 qualifiers, facing Belize in the first round. The first leg in Belmopan finished 0–0 and the second leg in George Town finished 1–1. The 1–1 aggregate score meant the Cayman Islands were eliminated on the away goal rule. With this unbeaten elimination, Cayman Islands can say that they are one of the few teams in the world that did not qualify for a FIFA World Cup despite not losing a single match.
Results and fixtures
[edit]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
2023
[edit]7 September 2023–24 Nations League | U.S. Virgin Islands ![]() | 2–2 | ![]() | Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands |
19:00 UTC−4 |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Bethlehem Soccer Stadium Referee: Reon Radix (Grenada) |
11 September 2023–24 Nations League | Cayman Islands ![]() | 1–2 | ![]() | George Town, Cayman Islands |
15:30 UTC−5 |
|
Report | Stadium: Truman Bodden Sports Complex Referee: Ismael Cornejo (El Salvador) |
17 October 2023–24 Nations League | Cayman Islands ![]() | 2–1 | ![]() | George Town, Cayman Islands |
15:30 UTC−5 | Report |
|
Stadium: Truman Bodden Sports Complex Referee: Randy Encarnación (Dominican Republic) |
20 November 2023–24 Nations League | Aruba ![]() | 5–1 | ![]() | Oranjestad, Aruba |
15:00 UTC−4 |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Trinidad Stadium Referee: Norberto da Silva (Curaçao) |
2024
[edit]26 March Friendly | Cayman Islands ![]() | 0–4 | ![]() | Antalya, Turkey |
17:00 UTC+3 | Report | Stadium: Mardan Sports Complex |
8 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification | Cayman Islands ![]() | 1–0 | ![]() | George Town, Cayman Islands |
21:00 UTC−5 |
|
Report (FIFA) Report (CONCACAF) |
Stadium: Truman Bodden Sports Complex Attendance: 453 Referee: Pierre-Luc Lauzière (Canada) |
11 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification | Cuba ![]() | 3–0 Awarded[note 1] | ![]() | Santiago de Cuba, Cuba |
15:30 UTC−4 | Report (FIFA) Report (CONCACAF) |
Stadium: Estadio Antonio Maceo |
4 September 2024–25 CONCACAF Nations League | British Virgin Islands ![]() | v | ![]() | George Town, Cayman Islands |
--:-- UTC−4 | Stadium: Truman Bodden Sports Complex |
7 September 2024–25 CONCACAF Nations League | Cayman Islands ![]() | v | ![]() | George Town, Cayman Islands |
--:-- UTC−4 | Stadium: Truman Bodden Sports Complex |
9 October 2024–25 CONCACAF Nations League | Cayman Islands ![]() | v | ![]() | Saint Kitts and Nevis |
--:-- UTC−4 | Stadium: TBD |
15 October 2024–25 CONCACAF Nations League | Saint Kitts and Nevis ![]() | v | ![]() | Saint Kitts and Nevis |
--:-- UTC−4 | Stadium: TBD |
2025
[edit]4 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification | Bermuda ![]() | v | ![]() | |
--:-- UTC−4 |
7 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification | Cayman Islands ![]() | v | ![]() | George Town, Cayman Islands |
--:-- UTC−5 | Stadium: Truman Bodden Sports Complex |
Coaching history
[edit]Neider dos Santos (1993–1996)
Ken Fogarty (1996–1999)
Márcio Máximo (2000–2001)
Marcos Tinoco (2001–2005)
Carl Brown (2006–2011)
David Braham (2011–2015)
Chandler González (2015–2018)
Charles McLean (2018)
Chandler González (2018–2019)
Benjamin Pugh (2019–2021)
Cláudio Garcia (2023–)
Joey Jap Tjong (2024-)
Players
[edit]Current squad
[edit]The following players were called up for 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification matches against Antigua and Barbuda and Cuba on 8 and 11 June 2024.[5]
Caps and goals correct as of 8 June 2024, after the match against Antigua and Barbuda
Recent call-ups
[edit]Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GK | Johnathan Mclean-Giraud | 11 December 1997 | 2 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
DF | Joshewa Frederick-Charlery | 24 January 1997 | 21 | 0 | Free agent | v. ![]() |
MF | Francisco Murillo | 26 August 1999 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
MF | Barry-Dre Tibbetts | 5 June 2002 | 6 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
FW | Anthony Nelson | 31 July 1997 | 4 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
|
Player records
[edit]- As of 20 November 2023[6]
- Players in bold are still active with Cayman Islands.
Most appearances
[edit]Rank | Player | Caps | Goals | Period |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Mark Ebanks | 23 | 7 | 2010–present |
Ian Lindo | 23 | 1 | 2001–2011 | |
3 | Theron Wood | 22 | 1 | 2008–2021 |
4 | Joshewa Frederick-Charlery | 21 | 0 | 2015–present |
5 | Garth Anderson | 20 | 2 | 1999–2008 |
6 | Erickson Brown-Morfy | 19 | 6 | 1998–2009 |
7 | Jonah Ebanks | 18 | 5 | 2018–present |
8 | Lee Ramoon | 17 | 12 | 1979–2002 |
9 | Phillip Berry | 16 | 1 | 2000–2008 |
Wesley Robinson | 16 | 0 | 2015–present |
Top goalscorers
[edit]Rank | Player | Goals | Caps | Ratio | Period |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Lee Ramoon | 12 | 17 | 0.71 | 1979–2002 |
2 | Mark Ebanks | 7 | 23 | 0.3 | 2010–present |
3 | Erickson Brown-Morfy | 6 | 19 | 0.32 | 1998–2009 |
4 | Jonah Ebanks | 5 | 18 | 0.28 | 2018–present |
5 | Gary Whittaker | 3 | 12 | 0.25 | 1993–2008 |
Michael Martin | 3 | 13 | 0.23 | 2018–2020 | |
7 | Gunnar Studenhofft | 2 | 3 | 0.67 | 2021–present |
Paul Brown | 2 | 4 | 0.5 | 2010–2015 | |
Carlos Welcome | 2 | 4 | 0.5 | 1994–2004 | |
Marshall Forbes | 2 | 6 | 0.33 | 2002–2008 | |
Calvin Jefford | 2 | 7 | 0.29 | 2008–2009 | |
Anthony Ramoon | 2 | 11 | 0.18 | 1993–2002 | |
Garth Anderson | 2 | 20 | 0.1 | 1999–2008 |
Competitive record
[edit]FIFA World Cup
[edit]FIFA World Cup | Qualification | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
1930 to 1994 | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | |||||||||||||
![]() |
Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | ||||||||
![]() ![]() |
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | |||||||||
![]() |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | |||||||||
![]() |
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | |||||||||
![]() |
6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 15 | |||||||||
![]() |
2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
![]() |
4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 18 | |||||||||
![]() ![]() ![]() |
To be determined | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||||||
![]() ![]() ![]() |
To be determined | ||||||||||||||
![]() | |||||||||||||||
Total | – | 0/7 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 21 | 1 | 6 | 14 | 9 | 53 |
CONCACAF Gold Cup
[edit]CONCACAF Gold Cup record | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | |
![]() |
Did not qualify | ||||||||
![]() ![]() | |||||||||
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![]() |
Withdrew | ||||||||
![]() |
Did not qualify | ||||||||
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![]() ![]() | |||||||||
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![]() | |||||||||
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Withdrew | ||||||||
![]() ![]() | |||||||||
![]() | |||||||||
![]() ![]() ![]() |
Did not qualify | ||||||||
![]() | |||||||||
![]() ![]() | |||||||||
Total | – | 0/17 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
CONCACAF Nations League
[edit]CONCACAF Nations League record | |||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
League | Finals | ||||||||||||||||||
Season | Division | Group | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | P/R | Finals | Result | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | |
2019–20 | C | A | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 8 | ![]() |
![]() |
Ineligible | ||||||||
2022–23 | C | D | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 11 | ![]() |
![]() | |||||||||
2023–24 | C | B | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 10 | ![]() |
![]() | |||||||||
2024–25 | C | C | To be determined | ![]() | |||||||||||||||
Total | — | — | 14 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 16 | 29 | — | Total | 0 Titles | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Caribbean Cup
[edit]Caribbean Cup record | Caribbean Cup qualification record | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Round | Pld | W | D[1] | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D[1] | L | GF | GA | |
![]() |
Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||
![]() |
Did not qualify | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 10 | |||||||
![]() |
Group stage | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | |
![]() |
Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 11 | |||||||
![]() |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 13 | ||||||||
![]() |
Group stage | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 2 | |
![]() ![]() |
Fourth place | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 14 | Qualified as hosts | ||||||
![]() |
Did not qualify | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | |||||||
![]() ![]() |
Withdrew | Withdrew | ||||||||||||
![]() ![]() |
Group stage | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | |
![]() |
Did not qualify | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 9 | |||||||
![]() |
3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 4 | ||||||||
![]() |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | ||||||||
![]() |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 12 | ||||||||
![]() |
6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 13 | ||||||||
![]() |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | ||||||||
![]() |
Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||
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![]() | ||||||||||||||
Total | 4/19 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 15 | 30 | 38 | 10 | 9 | 19 | 56 | 92 |
- ^ a b Draws include knockout matches decided via a penalty shoot-out.
Head-to-head record
[edit]As of 8 June 2024 after match against Antigua and Barbuda[7]
Positive Record Neutral Recordp Negative Record
Opponent |
Pld |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
GD |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 |
![]() |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 |
![]() |
4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 11 | -6 |
![]() |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 4 | +5 |
![]() |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 11 | −7 |
![]() |
2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
![]() |
9 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 15 | −7 |
![]() |
6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 5 | +7 |
![]() |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | −11 |
![]() |
15 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 4 | 46 | −42 |
![]() |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 |
![]() |
5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 14 | −12 |
![]() |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 8 | −7 |
![]() |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 |
![]() |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | −2 |
![]() |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | −6 |
![]() |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | −2 |
![]() |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | −2 |
![]() |
13 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 10 | 40 | −30 |
![]() |
5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 13 | −11 |
![]() |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | −4 |
![]() |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 |
![]() |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 |
![]() |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 |
![]() |
4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 14 | −13 |
![]() |
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
![]() |
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
![]() |
6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 12 | −4 |
![]() |
3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 | −4 |
![]() |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 5 | +3 |
![]() |
4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 7 | −7 |
![]() |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 19 | −17 |
![]() |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 |
![]() |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | −7 |
![]() |
4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 3 | +4 |
Total | 110 | 21 | 20 | 69 | 108 | 279 | −171 |
Notes
[edit]- ^ Cuba were awarded a 3–0 victory by forfeit, due to the Cayman Islands team not wanting visa issues to the United States as a result of visiting Cuba.
References
[edit]- ^ a b Russell, Seaford (9 June 2024). "Cayman's last-minute goal secures historic World Cup qualifier victory". Cayman Compass. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
- ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking". FIFA. 18 July 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
- ^ Elo rankings change compared to one year ago. "World Football Elo Ratings". eloratings.net. 15 July 2024. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ Footballers whose loved ones have told them who to play for Archived 30 June 2018 at the Wayback Machine, The Guardian, 5 March 2008
- ^ "Final Squad". Instagram. Cayman Islands Football Association.
- ^ "Cayman Islands". National Football Teams.
- ^ "World Football Elo Ratings: Cayman Islands". eloratings.net. Elo Ratings. Archived from the original on 13 June 2006. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
External links
[edit]- Cayman Islands – FIFA.com (archived 2 June 2007)
- Cayman Islands Football Association. Archived 12 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine.