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The Turks & Caicos Islands are looking forward to helping the Marshall Islands grow as a fully-fledged football nation at the 2025 Outrigger Challenge Cup.

So says Turks & Caicos Islands Football Association technical director Dane Ritchie, as the Caribbean nation prepares to do battle at the upcoming tournament in Springdale, Arkansas.

The 2025 Outrigger Challenge Cup, which will take place between Wednesday, 13th August and Saturday, 16th August, will see the Turks & Caicos Islands take on the Marshall Islands, the last nation on earth without a football team, in the penultimate game of the tournament on 16th August.

The long-term ambition for the Marshall Islands is to become a member nation of both the Oceania Football Confederation [OFC] and ultimately, FIFA – and Ritchie was keen for the Turks & Caicos Islands to help the Marshallese progress and pursue their dream. He said: “It [the Outrigger Challenge Cup] is an opportunity for our players to play, and we are also able to help another footballing nation fulfil their plans.

“It is significant for us to be able to contribute to the growth of another football nation. We are still building our football in the Turks & Caicos Islands, so we are keen on helping another country progress.

“We know that the Marshall Islands are actively seeking membership in OFC and eventually FIFA, and to develop football overall in their country.

“We are excited for this fixture as it will give us a chance to look at a few players
representing the senior team for the first time.”

Having formed a football association in 1996, the Turks & Caicos Islands became full FIFA members in 1998, and Ritchie admitted membership had been ‘critical’ to the development of the game on the Caribbean island.

He said: “FIFA membership has been critical to the development of football in the Turks & Caicos Islands. We have had excellent support in the form of training and development, finance and infrastructure, as well as playing opportunities through our regional body CONCACAF along with FIFA.

“Playing opportunities have been created through both FIFA and CONCACAF. We’ve also been able to grow and develop local coaches, who are better able to prepare players to compete in regional and international tournaments.

“Support has been given to programs at different levels which aid in the development of the game in a holistic way. Support has been given to coaching education, refereeing, equipment, projects, grassroots, women’s football and other programs.

“I would advise countries who don’t have FIFA membership to go all out to become full members as the benefits are significant.”

The Turks & Caicos Islands will also take on the US Virgin Islands and Ozark United under-19s at the 2025 Outrigger Challenge Cup.

The Turks & Caicos’ tournament begins against fellow FIFA and CONCACAF members the US Virgin Islands on 13th August. They then face MLS NEXT outfit Ozark United under-19s a day later.

Ritchie was eagerly anticipating his country’s game against Caribbean neighbours the US Virgin Islands, revealing it would serve as a ‘yardstick’ to see where the Turks & Caicos Islands were as a team – but the technical director admitted he did not know much about OZFC’s young guns.

He said: “Preparations for the tournament have been going well with the players who are on island. As we get closer [to the start of the Outrigger Challenge Cup], we will have a few players coming in to join those local-based players.

“We are looking forward to the tournament as it gives us an opportunity to play as a team against international opponents. This is always welcomed by us as we keep our players focused on keeping prepared and fit.

“The game against the US Virgin Islands will serve as a yardstick to see how our players are able to play together as a unit with the additional players coming in.

“While we have played the US Virgin Islands on a number of occasions, we are playing the Ozark United team for the first time so we don’t have much information about them at this time.”

The 2025 Outrigger Challenge Cup will be the Turks & Caicos’ first set of fixtures since the final round of CONCACAF Nations League C Group B games in Belize in October 2024. The Turks & Caicos recorded a dramatic 2-1 win over Anguilla on 12th October – thanks to a 95th minute penalty from defender Ledson Jerome – before falling to a 3-0 defeat to host nation Belize three days later.

The results saw the Turks & Caicos Islands finish bottom of their three-team CONCACAF Nations League group, albeit only on goal difference from Anguilla.
Ritchie said: “As much as we would like to play games more often, we are happy for this opportunity and will make the best of it.

“We believe in our unit and think all our players can make an impact on the game when given the opportunity.”

Thanks to the Marshall Islands Soccer Federation’s streaming partner Spiideo, we’ll be offering a professional and high-quality live stream to all five matches at the 2025 Outrigger Challenge Cup. To get your live stream passes, head over to the Spiideo platform to buy your 2025 Outrigger Challenge Cup pass.

For those wishing to watch in-person, tickets can be purchased online through Fixr.

The Marshall Islands Soccer Federation are still looking for parties interested in sponsoring the event. We have a range of opportunities from live streaming partners, shirt sponsorship, and player and match sponsors. Interested parties should email head of commercial, Matt Webb at marshallislandssf@gmail.com.

The full fixture list for the 2025 Outrigger Challenge Cup is as follows:
● Wednesday, 13th August – US Virgin Islands v Turks & Caicos Islands – 7pm kick-off
● Thursday, 14th August – Turks & Caicos Islands v Ozark United under-19s – 5pm
● Thursday, 14th August – Marshall Islands v US Virgin Islands – 8pm
● Saturday, 16th August – Marshall Islands v Turks & Caicos Islands – 1pm
● Saturday, 16th August – US Virgin Islands v Ozark United under-19s – 4pm
All games to be played at Jarrell Williams Bulldog Stadium, Springdale
All kick-off times Central Daylight Time