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• All set for exciting end to Women's Gold Cup qualifiers

  The final window of the Concacaf Women's Gold Cup qualifiers begins on Wednesday, as the race for spots to the 2024 Women's Gold Cup intensifies.

  League A

   

  By the end of the window next Tuesday, December 5, three teams will know if they have qualified for the Women's Gold Cup group stage and another six teams will be slotted for the Women's Gold Cup Prelims.

  Mexico will get their first crack at winning Group A of League A on Friday at Puerto Rico with El Tricolor holding a two-point edge on the Boricuas. If Puerto Rico and Mexico draw, Mexico win the group and Puerto Rico would seal their place in the Prelims, as they currently sit three points ahead of Trinidad and Tobago, who close the window against Mexico on December 5.

  Panama can win Group B in a Wednesday visit to Jamaica, as the Canaleras own a two-point advantage on Guatemala. However, should Panama drop points, it could open the way for Guatemala or Jamaica on Sunday to win the group. A Jamaica win against Panama could set the stage for a dramatic final matchday on Sunday, with all three teams alive for a first-place finish.

  Haiti only require a draw at Costa Rica to clinch Group C of League A on Thursday. However, a Ticas win could make for an interesting final matchday in the group next Monday. Costa Rica host St Kitts and Nevis, but would need to win by a wide margin, with Haiti currently at plus-25 goal difference.

  League B

   

  The winners of the three League B groups will advance to the Women's Gold Cup Prelims versus the second-place group finishers from League A.

  Guyana can win Group A of League B with victory over Dominica on Wednesday, provided Suriname drop points at Antigua and Barbuda. Should Guyana and Suriname win their first matches of the window, Guyana can clinch the group win and a Prelims spot with a draw in their final fixture against Antigua and Barbuda.

  El Salvador have already punched their Prelims ticket as winners of Group B of League B, but in Group C, Bermuda and Dominican Republic are in a dogfight, with the former slightly ahead by a point.

  On Friday, Bermuda host St Vincent and the Grenadines, while Dominican Republic head to Barbados. Should those two sides win, a final matchday clash between the Dominican Republic and Bermuda in Santo Domingo, would be a winner-take-all affair.

  League C

   

  A group win is there for the taking for three teams in League C. With a six-point cushion, Belize can win Group A with a draw at Bonaire on Thursday.

  Cuba can clinch Group B should St Lucia fail to beat Guadeloupe on Friday. However, a St Lucia win, would set up a final day contest, with Cuba only needing a draw to win the group.

  Grenada have already emerged as winners of Group C, but Curacao still have work to do in Group D. They have a two-point lead over Anguilla and face Anguilla on Thursday. A draw would be enough to win the group for Curacao.

• Back to full health, Olympic champion Steven Gardiner plans to win gold once more at 2024 Paris Games

  Olympic 400m champion Steven Gardiner is back to full health and is determined to defend his title in Paris, France next year.

  In one of the more heartbreaking moments of the 2023 World Athletics Championships, the Bahamian star, who won the 400m title in Doha in 2019 and on the rebound from an injury that kept him out of the championships in Oregon in 2022, suffered an injury in his semi-final heat, tragically ending his campaign in Budapest.

  Running out lane six in the last of three semi-finals, Gardiner was in complete control when he suddenly collapsed and fell to the track. He later revealed he had suffered a grade-one sprain of the tendon extending into the knee of the right posterior thigh.

  His injury opened the door for Jamaica’s Antonio Watson, who advanced to the final with the fastest time of 44.13, to win Jamaica’s first gold medal in the event in 40 years.

  However, in an interview with Bahamian media platform Eyewitness News, the soft-spoken Gardiner expressed confidence about his coming campaign to win a second Olympic gold medal.

  “I’m back 100 per cent. Between my doctors in Germany and my coach in the US, we all are on one accord to take it slowly at the beginning of the season and then we’ll be ready for Paris 2024,” he said.

  Gardiner revealed that there is only one objective for the coming season.

  “The gold medal is the main goal. You know, to bring the medal home to Bahamas once more and also to defend the title that I conquered in 2021, so I just want to do it all again.”

• Real City, Basement advance to final of SFP Pocket Rocket Foundation Six-A-Side competition

  Real City and Basement will contest the final of the 2023 SFP Pocket Rocket Foundation Six-A-Side competition after semi-final wins at the FESCO Field in Waterhouse over the weekend.

  Sunday saw Real City secure their spot in the final with a 2-0 win over Lion Den thanks to goals from Nico McLeish and Hakeem Green.

  Their opponents in the final will be Basement who beat Black Strikers 1-0 on Saturday thanks to a strike from Taywane Lynch.

  The final takes place on Sunday, December 3 at 3:30pm.