Anguilla’s national men’s team produced a spirited performance against Aruba, taking a 2-1 lead into stoppage time before narrowly losing 3-2.
The League C, Group B Concacaf Nations League fixture was played at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on 4 October.
Aruba took the lead in the seventh minute when Carlito Fermina found the net, but Anguilla responded strongly and levelled through Nathaniel Owen in the 39th minute.
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The teams went into half-time level at 1-1.
Anguilla continued to press after the break and was rewarded in the 77th minute when Alexander Fleming put the team ahead at 2-1.
The lead was protected through much of the closing stages, with goalkeeper Jelanie Lawrence making a number of important saves as Aruba pushed for an equaliser.
Anguilla made three substitutions in the 66th minute, while Aruba continued to apply pressure as the match entered stoppage time.
Anguilla appeared on course to secure a valuable point, but Aruba found an equaliser in the 93rd minute through Alljereau Mercera.
Justin Peterson scored again a minute later to complete the 3-2 turnaround.
Anguilla did not earn any points as a result of the loss, leaving the team last in the Group B table with zero points after four matches played.
The fifth edition of the Concacaf Nations League kicked off on 23 September with a new campaign featuring all 41 Concacaf Member Associations across Leagues A, B and C.
The September to October FIFA match window features 74 group stage matches across the three leagues and include the tournament’s historic 500th match.
The competition will continue in November before culminating in March 2027 with the Concacaf Nations League finals.
The league will also serve as the sole pathway to the 2027 Concacaf Gold Cup, with teams qualifying directly or advancing to additional qualification rounds based on their performance.
Concacaf, or the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football, is one of FIFA’s six continental confederations, servicing 41 member associations.
Check out highlights from the match below:
