Late Goal Sends Antigua and Barbuda Through

Antigua & Barbuda made history on Friday night as a 1-0 victory against Haiti at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium in St. John's sent the nation into the third round of CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying for the first time in its history.

With a two-point advantage over the Haitians with two games remaining in group play, Antigua & Barbuda knew a victory would seal their place in the next round. They left it late to find a winner, Kerry Skepple scoring with seven minutes to play after coming on as a substitute for former Los Angeles Blues player Peter Byers, but once the final whistle went, the celebration was on.

"Coming onto the field, I was focused on the job the coach (Tom Curtis) instructed me to carry out," Skepple told the Antigua Observer. "We are all a team and I have a part to play, and tonight I came in and played my part."

Skepple was one of the few players in the Antigua & Barbuda team not to have played for USL PRO's Antigua Barracuda FC this summer. Currently playing for All Saint's United in the Antigua and Barbuda Premier Division, his goal was his seventh for his country and certainly the most important.

Antigua & Barbuda will now face the United States, Jamaica and Guatemala in the next stage of group play. While a major underdog to advance into the final round, captain of both club and country George Dublin said it will be a major opportunity for the players to show how soccer has developed in the country.

"I'm really enjoying this win. It was really importand for Antigua and Barbuda to move on," Dublin told reporters. "We knew we're going to be under immense pressure. (This will be a good opportunity to prove ourselves and show the world we have good footballers in Antigua."