Dajari Barthley has been named captain of Antigua and Barbuda’s Young Benna Boys for the 2026 Concacaf Under-20 Championship in Mexico.

The Antigua and Barbuda Football Association announced Wednesday that goalkeeper Tegan Gumbs will serve as vice captain.

Barthley, 18, previously attended Baptist Academy in Antigua and now studies at Bede’s Senior School in the United Kingdom. The midfielder was nominated for Antigua and Barbuda’s Junior Sportsman of the Year award in 2024 and 2025 and has trained with the senior national team.

Head coach Shyan said several players were assessed for the position during practice matches before the management team selected Barthley.

“The final choice was not an easy one,” Shyan said. “We had different guys captain the practice games, we monitored them and spoke to them. In the end, the management group was impressed with how Dajari handled the responsibilities. He is well respected by his teammates.”

Gumbs, who was born in Chicago and attends Purdue University Fort Wayne, helped Antigua and Barbuda qualify for the championship by recording four clean sheets in four victories during the qualifying tournament in Costa Rica.

The Young Benna Boys will open their campaign against host nation Mexico on Friday, July 24, at Estadio Cuauhtémoc in Puebla. They will then face Guatemala on July 27 and Costa Rica on July 30.

Antigua and Barbuda is the only Eastern Caribbean country competing in the 12-team championship.

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: Barthley Named Young Benna Boys Captain for Concacaf U-20 Championship.