Ferguson commends club’s players for Concacaf U17 showing

Director of Football at Mount Pleasant Football Academy, Davion Ferguson, says the just-concluded CONCACAF Under-17 Qualifiers further amplifies calls for a new approach in football development in the region.

Ferguson, who oversees the programme at the academy, which is the first and only full-scholarship football institution in the Caribbean, says having nine players participating in the qualifiers from four different countries is a monumental achievement for the academy.

"When I look at the Haiti team that has qualified for the World Cup, the three standout players, Franco Celestin, Emerson Laisse, and captain Miguel Joseph, are all from our academy. This speaks volumes to what we are about and what we want to achieve here at Mount Pleasant," said Ferguson.

Haiti secured their qualification to the November FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Qatar on Sunday night after beating host nation Guatemala 2-0 to top Group E with maximum nine points.

Haitian captain, and Mount Pleasant Academy midfielder Joseph saved his best for last, scoring one of the goals of the tournament with his long-range effort making it 2-0 in the fourth minute of stoppage time, after Djouby Jean-Phillippe had given Haiti an eighth-minute lead. It was Joseph's only goal of the tournament, while Laisse scored three times, with Celestin converting twice.

Ferguson was elated with the performance of the three Haitians.

"These boys have been working very hard in training and are now reaping the rewards. Franco scored in back-to-back games in the Jamaica Premier League against Arnett Gardens and champions, Cavalier, two very difficult teams, and he carried that confidence into the Concacaf tournament. Both Laisse and Joseph, who have also gotten minutes in the Premier League, are exceptional talents and will be a force to reckon with in the future," said Ferguson.

The football director also highlighted the effort of the three academy players in Jamaica's squad, which narrowly missed out on qualification after losing 2-1 to El Salvador in their final group game on Saturday, having just needed a draw.

"We would've wanted all nine of our players to qualify for the World Cup and we were very close to having six. Jamaica did really well and, with a bit more luck in their game against El Salvador, could've also made it. In that Jamaica team you look at [Jahmarie] Nolan who is only 15, ending with three goals and scoring in three straight games for club and country. [Owen] Jumpp, another Premier League player, who did well and scored against Cayman Islands and of course Earl [Dennis], who also has first-team experience. All these boys represented well and this is out of the tremendous investments we have made in their development."

The director, who has also won a number of titles with Jamaica College in the high school competitions, says football must be seen as a profession and not just a game.

"Persons might think that all these boys do is play football at the academy but that is not so. They are also students doing CXC classes. The difference is that we are preparing them for a future in football, just like doctors do, lawyers, teachers, politicians, we have created an environment where kids don't have to choose between sports and education, they can do both."

Principal of the Academy, Shamora Brown, echoed similar sentiments.

"We see these boys as not only footballers. Here at the academy, we look at creating the holistic player who can not only make a difference in football but also society. I hope that this achievement will help to change some of the perceptions out there about this institution and that persons can see the value of Mount Pleasant Academy not just in Jamaica, but across the region," she said.

St Lucians Shevon Byron, who scored against Jamaica in a 3-1 defeat, and Thierry Morille, as well as Barbadian Demario Harewood are also Mount Pleasant Academy players.

sports@gleanerjm.com