Guyana and Jamaica battle to 1-1 draw in Women’s U-17 World Cup qualifiers

The road to the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup™ 2026 began with a high-stakes Caribbean derby on Sunday, as Guyana and Jamaica played out a 1-1 draw in their Group D opener of the Concacaf Women’s Under-17 Qualifiers in Aruba.

Guyana came within minutes of a historic victory over the formidable Jamaica.

After a cagey first hour where clear-cut chances were at a premium, Guyana found the breakthrough in the 74th minute via Alexaudria Charles, putting the Guyanese on the verge of an opening-day upset.

However, Jamaica’s resilience—a hallmark of their recent international pedigree—shone through in the closing stages.

In the 85th minute, Nycolette Predergast found the equaliser, ensuring both sides walked away with a crucial point in the quest for the final round.

The 2026 edition marks the second year of Concacaf’s revamped two-round qualification format.

The stakes are exceptionally high; with only the six group winners and the two best second-place finishers advancing, every goal and every point carries immense weight.

Those eight advancing nations will join the region’s elite—Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the United States—who received byes to the Final Round based on their continental ranking.

For Guyana, the draw represents a solid foundation, but the pressure now shifts to their upcoming fixtures. To secure a spot among the six group winners, the Junior Lady Jags will likely need maximum points from their remaining matches:

• Jan 29: vs Aruba (20:00h)
• Jan 31: vs Honduras (15:00h)
• Feb 02: vs St. Vincent & the Grenadines (15:00h)