The Tridents' Disappointing Run in CONCACAF Nations League: Examining Barbados' Decline in Football Rankings

by Rawle Toney

The Tridents had an embarrassing run in this season’s CONCACAF Nations League, and since then, let’s just say, it’s been quieter than a library on a Sunday around the Barbados Football Association (BFA).

But fear not, because somebody has to shout “Hear Me Out!”

The Tridents are back where they started in the Nations League – in League C.

That’s like being told you’re not good enough to play with the big boys, so, go have fun with the kids.

As joking as that might seem, it’s no laughing matter.

Except for St Kitts and Nevis (147), every other team in League C is ranked lower than Barbados (174) in FIFA.

Belize (181), Anguilla (206), British Virgin Islands (204), Cayman Islands (194), Turks and Caicos (201) and US Virgin Islands (205) are the other teams that will compete in League C of the Nations League next season.

But seriously, how did Barbados go from rocking a world ranking of 98 in 2006, finishing fourth in the 2005 Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Caribbean Cup, to sharing the pitch with football’s minnows? The answer is simple: Poor administration.

Every year, the Tridents are sinking further down the ladder in the rankings – from 98 in 2006 to 178 in 2023.

Who would’ve thought Barbados would become the Caribbean’s football punchline? Plus, the silence from the BFA about the team’s performance is an insult to the sport – and to everyone who cares.

In most places, someone would’ve handed in their resignation by now. But not in Barbados; here, it’s all “business as usual” and blame the coach.

Having played six games in the Nations League, Barbados not only failed to secure a win, they didn’t even grab a point.

The Tridents conceded 26 goals, more than any other team in League A, B, and C. It’s like watching a comedy show, but the joke’s on us.

To put it into perspective, if you add all the goals conceded by the other teams in Group B of League B, they still will not collect more punches than Barbados – it was that embarrassing.

No shade to the players, though. Who wouldn’t willingly accept an opportunity to play international football? But seriously, should Barbados even be playing international football with its current lineup? How can there be any progress when coaches are changing faster than outfit changes at a fashion show? In the last decade, Barbados had more coaches than some people have had hot dinners: Colin Forde (2011–14), Marcos Falopa (2014–15), Colin Harewood (2015–17), Ahmed Mohamed Ahmed (2017–2019), Russell Latapy (2019–2022), and now Orlando da Costa (2022 – 2023).

But hey, while coaches come and go like seasons, the administrators stay put. Does that make any sense at all? Let’s be real – it’s unfair to keep sacrificing our players to the football gods. It’s an insult to the game, and it’s high time we stop pretending everything’s ‘hunky dory’ while the Tridents are getting a beating on the field.