trinidad (cmc)

Trinidad and Tobago will host the third edition of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Under-15 Youth Cup tournament next month, the local organising committee has announced.

Tournament dates will be August 18-30 and CFU acting general secretary and events co-ordinator, Angenie Kanhai, has revealed that the fixtures for the tournament have been confirmed.

Hosts T&T will open the tournament against Aruba on August 18.

This year's tournament will not serve as qualifiers for the CONCACAF Final qualifying round and subsequent World Championship unlike the 2006 edition which was an Under-16 level competition, with the top Caribbean teams moving on to the final qualifying round towards the FIFA Under-17 World Championship.

Central Americans El Salvador will be the guest nation participating this year.

A total of 19 Caribbean nations will take part in the first round with seven advancing to the quarter-final stage and El Salvador coming into the tournament as the eighth team at that phase of the tournament.

Canada were crowned champions of the 2005 Youth Cup with a 4-0 win over Guatemala in the final at the Hasely Crawford Stadium. Jamaica had clinched third spot with a 3-0 win over T&T.

In the 2006 edition, Mexico defeated Haiti 3-0 in the final with T&T finishing third with a 2-0 win over the Jamaicans.