Amaya Ellis, the daughter of former Queen’s Royal College star player Mark Ellis is looking to light up the midfield for the T&T senior women’s team against Nicaragua in their opening Concacaf Women’s World Cup qualifier at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo on Thursday.
The match kicks at 3 pm and begins T&T’s bid to qualify for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand as well as the Concacaf’s qualifiers for the 2024 Summer Olympics in France.
Three days later, T&T takes on Dominica in Guyana while they also play Turks and Caicos Islands on April 9, and Guyana on April 12 to close out round-robin pool play at the end of which only the top team will qualify to the next phase of the competition.
Speaking with T&TFA media ahead of the encounter with Nicaragua, Ellis said, ”I’m excited and also a bit nervous.
She added, “I feel like the nervous feeling is good because we have a really good team going, with good quality players from all over the world inclusive of Greece, and the USA and a good core of home-based players as well.
“So it’s exciting to see how all of us have come together and we are looking to put on a performance for everyone and to make our country proud.”
“But at the same time it’s a little nerve-wracking as we only have a couple of days together before really competing to the best of our abilities, but that’s the great thing about quality players, you give us a good pitch and a ball and we will make the most of it.
Commenting on the training sessions so far with the coach and former T&T senior men’s player Kenwyne Jones, Ellis said the training sessions leading up to the game have been going well.
“I think that the energy is high and everyone is really getting comfortable with each other on and off the field, so we just have to continue to build that team chemistry,” stated Ellis.
Ellis was one of nine midfielders named in the 22-player squad by Jones inclusive of Shani Nakhid-Schuster, Liana Hinds, Karyn Forbes (Police FC), Kaydeen Jack (Grambling State University—USA), Asha James (West Texas A&M University—USA), Chelcy Ralph (Ball State University—USA), Kedie Johnson (Florida International University—USA), and Maria-Frances Serrant (Corban University—USA), and said ss also expressed excitement about reuniting with some of the players with whom she played at the younger national level.
She said, “I have been playing with some of these girls since I was 14, so now it's kind of like the full circle when we were on youth Under-15s, Under-17s and Under-20s and now this is the senior team.
“This is what we have been looking forward to and trying to strive and chase after, and now we are finally here and so it’s really rewarding seeing these girls again and even seeing the new faces because some of them are players that we have looked up too when we were younger.
“Now we are teammates with some of these older players like Karyn Forbes, and Lauryn Hutchinson and it will be really good to see and play with them and kind of follow in their footsteps that they have left.
Jones also said she has enjoyed her experience of working with the new Jones-led coaching staff which also included another former T&T international Carlos Edwards.
“I think that he (Jones) has the quiet confident presence that is needed and he like I said has a great bunch of quality players and he just kind of set the framework for what needs to be done and it is up to us to achieve those goals that he sets out. “We are hungry and we want to win as much as he does and I love his competitive spirit and how he can just communicate effectively which is really appreciative and so far from others including my parents, he is a great player and just knows how we need to have fun and to get the job that we are here to do," She added.
A student-athlete at John Hopkins University with her focus on studies on her Masters in Environmental Sciences and Public Policy Ellis said Covid19 did not prevent our their season from happening but we actually got knocked out
Reflecting on her past collegiate season, Ellis said, ”I played centre midfield for John Hopkins University and they had a really lengthy season which ended with a “Sweet 16” appearance in November.
“So just being able to play all through the fall some competitive soccer really led me to be the confident player I'm going into this tournament, and I'm hoping to see some action in the centre of the midfield in the upcoming games,” ended Ellis.
The Nicaragua team was scheduled to arrive here on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the TTFA has been grantend approval by the Minitsry of Health for fans to attend the match against Nicaragua at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo. In thanking the Ministry the TTFA advice that the venue will be a Safe Zone for vaccinated fans only. All fans will be allowed in free.
(T&T Team)
Goalkeepers:
1.Kimika Forbes (Police FC), 21.Tenesha Palmer (Police FC), 22.K’lil Keshwar (St Francis College—USA);
Defenders:
2.Abishai Guy (Point Fortin), 4.Rhea Belgrave (Police FC), 5.Shaunalee Govia (University of Mount Olive), 20.Lauryn Hutchinson (both unattached), 8.Victoria Swift (Club Leon—Mexico), 19.Meyah Romeo (Detroit City—USA);
Midfielders:
3.Shani Nakhid-Schuster, 7.Liana Hinds (both unattached), 14.Karyn Forbes (Police FC), 6.Kaydeen Jack (Grambling State University—USA), 9.Amaya Ellis (Johns Hopkins University—USA), 10.Asha James (West Texas A&M University—USA), 12.Chelcy Ralph (Ball State University—USA), 15.Kedie Johnson (Florida International University—USA), 18.Maria-Frances Serrant (Corban University—USA),
Forwards:
11.Raenah Campbell (Avantes Chalkida WFC—USA), 13.Dennecia Prince (Point Fortin), 16.Cayla McFarlane (Harvard University—USA), 17.Maya Matouk (Police FC).
