Chase’s Academic to tackle Suriname Technical Institute for spot in the final

Dec 19, 2025 Sports

---

– KFC Goodwill Football Tournament to wrap up semifinals action today

Kaieteur Sports – As the sixth annual Under-18 KFC International Goodwill Football Series reaches the semifinal stage, only four teams remain after three rounds of thrilling secondary school football. Chase’s Academic Foundation of Guyana and St Benedict’s College of Trinidad and Tobago have emerged as the standout performers, displaying superior skill, resilience, and an unrelenting hunger for the 2025 title.

With eight teams competing in this year’s edition, the tournament has delivered fireworks from the opening whistle. Now, with the semifinals set for today at the Ministry of Education ground, the stage is perfectly set for a dramatic push toward crowning a new—or repeat—champion.

The competition has showcased outstanding individual and team performances. From Bryan Wharton’s nine-goal masterclass in the opening matchup against the Bahamians to disciplined defensive displays, each team has brought a unique style to the tournament, making the journey to the semifinals highly entertaining.

Defending champions Chase’s Academic Foundation have once again underlined why they are the team to beat. Their campaign began in emphatic fashion with a staggering 24–1 demolition of the Bahamas’ Anglican Central Educational Authority (ACEA). They then booked their semifinal spot by overcoming a stern test from Jamaica’s powerhouse Kingston College, edging them 3–2 on Wednesday evening in what many have described as the match of the tournament so far.

However, Chase’s semifinal push comes with a setback, as they will be without captain and leading goal-scorer Bryan Wharton, who is suspended following a red-card dismissal in their previous outing.

St Benedict’s College, no strangers to high-pressure football, have enjoyed a flawless run thus far. The Trinidadians opened with a convincing 4–0 win over Annai Secondary (Guyana), followed by an impressive 7–2 triumph against Suriname Technical Institute. Their toughest test came against Brazil’s Jose Viera School, where a composed 1–0 victory, courtesy of striker Josiah Barrow, sealed their place in the semifinals and preserved their unbeaten record.

While the frontrunners surged ahead, several contenders fell away after the first three rounds. ACEA endured a difficult debut, suffering three heavy defeats, including a 28–0 drubbing by Kingston College. That infamous victory came after a thrilling 6–5 comeback victory over West Ruimveldt Secondary—led by braces from Davion Clarke and Abriel Fisher—before eventually falling to Chase.

Suriname Technical Institute (Nickerie) have quietly built momentum. They opened with a 2–0 victory over Jose Viera School, fell to St Benedict’s College, but rebounded strongly with a 9–3 win over Annai Secondary to clinch their semifinal berth.

While four teams advance, West Ruimveldt Secondary, Annai Secondary, Anglican Central Educational Authority, and Jose Viera School all exit at this stage, failing to secure spots in the final four.

Today’s semifinal action kicks off at 18:00 hrs with St Benedict’s College (Trinidad and Tobago) facing Kingston College (Jamaica). Kingston will be out for redemption following their narrow defeat to defending champions Chase’s Academic, with goal machine Davion Clarke—currently on eight goals—eager to close the gap at the top of the scoring charts. St Benedict’s, meanwhile, will be focused on maintaining their perfect record and taking another step toward the title.

In the second semifinal, Chase’s Academic Foundation (Guyana) will battle Suriname Technical Institute for the final spot in the KFC finale. Despite missing their captain, the 2024 champions have shown they can deliver under pressure. Suriname Technical Institute, however, have proven they are no pushovers and will be aiming to spring a major upset in pursuit of a maiden KFC Goodwill final appearance.

Meanwhile, as anticipation builds, tournament organisers are expecting a sensational climax. Petra’s Head Troy Mendonca noted that the semifinal clashes could shape an unforgettable finale.

“Chase’s Academic and Kingston College have been playing well, though Kingston unfortunately went down on Wednesday evening in their bid to remain unbeaten. With the semifinal fixtures set, these two teams could possibly meet again, but St Benedict’s College will be no walkover as they faceoff with the Jamaicans today. Suriname, on the other hand, will also face their biggest task of the tournament when they take on defending champions Chase’s Academic Foundation. These two matchups are expected to set the tone for a thrilling finale,” Mendonca also shared.

The sixth edition of the KFC Goodwill Football Series is made possible through renewed title sponsorship from KFC Guyana, with support from Demerara Mutual, ANSA McAL (Lucozade), SkyTec Enterprise, Royal International Hotel, Austal GBTI Bank, New GPC (Limacol), Trans Guyana Airways, MVP Sports, along with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs. The tournament is sanctioned by the Ministry of Education.           

---

• Chase Academic, Goodwill Football, KFC, Suriname Technical Institute

---