Three overseas-based members of Antigua and Barbuda’s Under-20 national football team returned home on Tuesday as preparations continue for next month’s CONCACAF Under-20 Championship in Mexico.

Captain Keyonte George and Conroy Browne, who are both based in Germany, along with UK-based Marco Micheal, arrived at V.C. Bird International Airport and were welcomed by Antigua and Barbuda Football Association General Secretary D. Zorol Barthley.

The players will now join the rest of the squad as training intensifies ahead of the team’s departure on July 2.

Their arrival was marked by an unexpected meeting with Syrian international footballer Omar Al Somah, who was also at the airport. Al Somah, who plays professionally in Saudi Arabia and is regarded as one of Syria’s most accomplished footballers, spent time speaking with the young Antiguan players.

According to Barthley, Al Somah expressed admiration for the team and indicated a willingness to help create opportunities for Antiguan players by facilitating contacts with clubs in the Middle East.

“These are the moments that change careers,” Barthley said. “For our captain and his teammates to interact with a player of Omar Al Somah’s calibre, on the very day they return home to prepare for a CONCACAF Championship, says everything about the trajectory this squad is on.”

Antigua and Barbuda is one of 12 nations to qualify for the 2026 CONCACAF Under-20 Championship and is the only representative from the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union in the tournament.

The team has been drawn to face Mexico, Guatemala and Costa Rica in Group Stage matches scheduled for July 24, 27 and 30 respectively at Estadio Cuauhtémoc in Puebla, Mexico.

The tournament serves as a qualification pathway to the FIFA Under-20 World Cup.

The national squad is scheduled to leave Antigua on July 2 for a 43-day programme that includes stops in St. Lucia, Panama and Mexico City before arriving in Puebla for the competition.