CONCACAF has made further advancements to women football in the region by introducing the CONCACAF W Championship in 2022 and the first W Gold Cup set to begin in 2024.
The captain of Women’s senior football team Karyn Forbes is overjoyed at the recent changes in the sport. In an interview with CONCACAF, Forbes spoke on the developments, “It was really exciting because now we have so much more to look forward to and the women’s game is growing. It will also be an opportunity for players to be seen on the world’s stage for contracts and stuff like that, so it is awesome.”
Forbes is known for her quality service from free kicks and corners, her absurd range of kicking with both feet and her “hawk eye” vision in the center of midfield. The 29-year-old defensive midfielder foresees the myriad of benefits to having more international matches available. The Tobagonian said, “Having this as an avenue so we can play qualifiers and then for Gold Cup is awesome, because you know you will be active for a very long time, playing and staying in shape.”
Forbes believes that the increase of international matches will open doors for more players especially the young and upcoming footballers of T&T. “I see the talent that we have, but I think so many of our girls settle, so I think we need to get out of that. Being an inspiration for them by going out and playing and showing them that you can do it, too, is such a good thing for me.”
Gathering experiences from participating in these matches is a plus but there will also be financial gains that can be reinvested into local women’s football. Forbes who has been on the senior team for 16 years, explains what the process should be. “Our governing body would then have the leverage to develop women’s football even more and push more money into it. By us doing well, it will help bring finances and we could develop more players and get more preparation. We see this as an opportunity to bring that pride into our football, because we really need the push now.”
