An exciting slate of matches is on the schedule at the FIFA Series 2026™, especially at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia. Joining the host nation amid an electric atmosphere will be Bulgaria, Solomon Islands and a St. Kitts and Nevis side boasting one of the most experienced goalkeepers in the Concacaf region.
Since 2008, Julani Archibald has been the man in net for the Sugar Boyz and played a big role in the country’s biggest football achievements. The 34-year-old helped the Caribbean squad reach the penultimate round of Concacaf qualifying for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, and then was the penalty-shootout hero against FIFA World Cup 2026™ side Curaçao and French Guiana in qualification for the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup.
Currently at Maltese outfit Valletta, the FIFA Series is another chance to shine on the global stage for Archibald, who believes St. Kitts and Nevis can use it as a springboard to reach the World Cup 2030.
Julani Archibald: The team is over the moon and we’re looking forward to participating in the FIFA Series tournament. If I’m not mistaken, this is the first time we‘ll play Asian opposition, and it’s the host nation. We’re looking forward to it. It’s a good initiative for a small country like us to come up against a big nation like Indonesia.
I can see they are a footballing nation. The fans do come out and support them. I watched a couple of clips of them. I watched them against Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Japan. I watched quite a few clips, so I have an idea how they play and what to expect.
Yes, I’m excited. We played a similar atmosphere when we went to the Gold Cup. When we played against the US, it was like 22,000 [in attendance], so I know it’s going to be more than that when we go to Indonesia. I think we’ll cope with it well.
I think it will help them greatly because it’s a good opportunity. You never know who’s watching in football. You can go over there and show what you have, and somebody might just come after the game and be interested in you. It’s a great opportunity for the young players to go out there and showcase their skills. Everybody wants young players in their clubs, so they can build them and they can be the future of their club once they have the potential and the talent.
It’s very important because it’s not every international window we get to play against a team from Europe, a nation from Asia and a team like Solomon Islands. It’s a very good initiative by FIFA to go there to see where we are, where we need to work, because these games are good warm-ups for the Nations League in September.
We have a new head coach in Marcelo Sereno, so basically, we’re turning a new page. He brings in his project and it’s for us to buy into it and go places. In the Nations League in League B, once you win your group, you go automatically to the Gold Cup. The short-term goal is to make it to the Gold Cup next year, and the long-term goal is to build a team and try to qualify for the 2030 World Cup.
My advice to them is just be yourself. Don’t try to be anything you are not. The reason why you are here with us is because of your talent and you being yourself. So when you come up to the national team, just be respectful, pay attention and showcase yourself. Be free, because that is what gets you here to be with us. It’s always a privilege to see a young footballer coming up the ranks and making it to the national team at a young age.
Most definitely. Curaçao was the first team we knocked out in the [2023 Gold Cup] prelims, and basically when you watch them in the qualifiers leading up to the World Cup, they had like 85 per cent of the same players we played against and we knocked out. So it’s always ringing in our heads that those are the same players we played against a couple of years ago, and they’re still together and they made it to a World Cup. If they can do it, we can do it also.
Making it to a World Cup would be huge because it would bring plenty of attraction to our country, St. Kitts and Nevis. It would be more opportunity for our youth, more opportunity for players. I can’t even begin to think about it. It would be huge. I think we would have one week of holidays! (laughs)
