THE 2025 KFC International School football tournament launched on Sunday with an explosive statement of intent from the defending champions, Chase’s Academic Foundation, followed by a breathtaking 11-goal thriller that set a ferocious pace for the competition ahead.
At the Queen’s College Ground, Chase’s Academic Foundation delivered a statistical anomaly, securing a massive 24-1 victory over the Anglican Central Education Authority Select (ACEAS) of the Bahamas in the Group A opener.
The headline act of the day belonged squarely to Chase’s forward Bryan Wharton, who etched his name into the tournament’s history books with a staggering nine-goal haul. Wharton’s clinical and relentless finishing overwhelmed the Bahamian defence, cementing the thumping triumph and sending an ominous warning to the rest of the field.
Wharton’s output was backed by phenomenal goal-scoring depth, including a hat-trick from Isiah Ifill (three), two goals each from Onesi Dunn, Shaquan David, and Whitney King, along with single strikes from Nyron Barrow, Mark Glasgow, Kemron Pellew, Neeaz Baksh, and Damani Hardy. The solitary goal for the Bahamian outfit came from an unfortunate own goal.

While Chase’s sheer power was on display, the second match delivered unadulterated drama as Kingston College of Jamaica secured a thrilling 6-5 victory over local side West Ruimveldt Secondary.
West Ruimveldt had looked comfortable at the interval, leading 3-1, fuelled by an early strike from Joel Griffith (18’) and a brace from the phenomenal Jeremiah Griffith (32’, 41’).
The second half, however, witnessed a massive shift in momentum. Despite Griffith completing his hat-trick in the 55th minute and scoring a fourth in the 81st minute, his individual brilliance was cancelled out by a collective Jamaican resurgence. Kingston College’s Davion Clarke (48’, 74’) and Abreil Fisher (70’, 75’) drove the comeback, with Nthanda Scott providing the final, decisive strike in the 87th minute to seal the heart-stopping 6-5 result for the Jamaicans.
Over at the Ministry of Education Ground, Group B also delivered crucial points:
Nikiere Technical (Suriname) proved too disciplined for Brazil’s José Vieira de Sales Guerra State School, clinching a 2-0 victory. Goals from Darien Doris (16’) and Jizreel Sedoc (76’) secured the valuable win.
St Benedict College (Trinidad and Tobago) dominated Annai Secondary with a convincing 4-0 shutout. Josiah Barrow opened the scoring (39’), before Jelani Stoute bagged a second-half brace (55’, 69’), followed by Jelani Scott (72’), placing the Trinidadian side in a commanding early position.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals, making the upcoming fixtures critical.
Matches continue today at both venues: At Queen’s College, Kington’s College face ACEAS at 12:30h, followed by St. Benedict’s College against Nikiere Technical from 14:30h.
At MoE, Chase faces West Ruimveldt from 18:00h, followed by Guerra State School against Annai from 20:00h.