BFA unveils new National Senior Men’s Football Coach

Barbados’ on-field football has a new man at the helm, charged with reviving its recent struggling fortunes.

The Barbados Football Association (BFA) has announced the appointment of UEFA Pro Level 4 coach, Orlando da Costa as the head honcho of the Barbados senior men’s national football team on an initial one-year contract. The BFA also announced the appointment of Ricardo Fernandes as his assistant coach.

Fernandes and da Costa, both Portuguese nationals, were revealed as the men responsible for guiding the national senior team during a press conference at the BFA headquarters, Wildey, St Michael, today.

Da Costa, 45, has more than 25 years of experience having coached from the age of 19. He holds a bachelor’s degree in sports and physical education with a master’s degree in sport psychology. He has a wealth of experience coaching in Portugal and around Europe having served as head coach of Seoul FC where he won the league and league cup in 2010.

Da Costa also served as assistant head coach with Guinea-Bissau and Atletico Clube Portugal as well as head coach at Merelinense Futebol Clube and Tirsense FC, both in Portugal

Addressing his new appointment, da Costa stated: “We are very happy and proud to represent Barbados Football Association. We are here with our soul and heart to increase the winning mentality and improve the football and try to create a new identity based on our philosophy. It’s very important in the future for our players to believe in themselves and believe they can win anywhere. But to play and win anywhere against any opponent, we must play at the top level, bravely, with a good game model and as a team.

“One of the game principles we like to work on is ball possession. We must play as a team with good intensity and good training, and we will be 100 percent focused. We must play in all training sessions and fight until the last second to win all the games. Our job is that. We will not win all the games, but our job is to create ideas for our players. They must believe in themselves and our ideas.”

BFA president Randy Harris said the appointment of the new head coach and his assistant was part of the plans to continue developing football in Barbados. Harris also indicated that Da Costa and Fernandes were the best candidates for the job after more than 300 applications.

“We took our time in our search for coaches who have a history of development and working with people who play football at our quality and above and have made a big difference after they have left. In these coaches, we think we hit the right spot in getting the right quality of coach that we need in Barbados at this time,” Harris noted.

Da Costa and Fernandes’ first official games in charge will be in the Concacaf Nations League in March next year. Barbados currently sits in fourth position in Group A of League B and will take on Cuba at home on March 23, 2023 before an away match against Antigua on March 26, 2023.

Barbados is currently ranked at 166 in the world and among the lowest in the CONCACAF region. This is however an improvement on its 181 ranking in 2017, the country’s lowest ever.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Russell Latapy was Barbados’ last senior men’s coach but quit in June this year after a number of heavy defeats and poor performances by the national team, including a humiliating 8-1 defeat to minnows Bermuda in the Concacaf Gold Cup Preliminary Round last year. 

(PR/WG)