{{Infobox international football competition |tourney_name=CCCF Championship |year=1941 |image= |size= |caption= |country={{flagicon|CRC}} Costa Rica |dates=8–18 May |num_teams=5 |venues=Estadio Nacional, San José |champion=CRC |count=1 |second=SLV |third=Territory of Curaçao |matches=10 |goals=70 |top_scorer={{fbicon|CRC}} Fello Meza<br/>{{fbicon|Territory of Curaçao}} Hans Nahar<br/>(8 goals) |nextseason=1943 }} The '''1941 CCCF Championship''' was the inaugural international association football championship for members of the Confederación Centroamericana y del Caribe de Fútbol (CCCF). Hosted by Costa Rica, the competition ran from 8–18 May 1941 and was contested by the national teams of Costa Rica, Curaçao, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Panama.
In the final match of the round-robin tournament, hosts Costa Rica were crowned champions as they completed a clean sweep by defeating El Salvador 3–1.
==Background== The Confederación Centroamericana y del Caribe de Fútbol (CCCF) was founded in 1938. Along with the North American Football Confederation (NAFC), it was a precursor organisation to the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF). Within three years of its founding, the CCCF organised a contest for its member associations.<ref>{{cite web |last=Stokkermans |first=Karel |title=CCCF and Concacaf Championships |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesc/cccf-concacaf.html |publisher=RSSSF |access-date=18 April 2025 |date=7 July 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=CONCACAF Gold Cup Competition |url=http://www.goldcup.org/page/GoldCup/Competition |publisher=CONCACAF |access-date=18 April 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319163305/http://www.goldcup.org/page/GoldCup/Competition |archive-date=19 March 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Format== The tournament was played as a single round-robin where each team would play all of the others once. The winner would be decided by the total number of points obtained across all matches played.<ref name="RSSSF">{{cite web |last1=Mendoza |first1=Eduardo |last2=Knight |first2=Ken |last3=Morrison |first3=Neil |title=I C.C.C.F. (Confederación Centroamericana y del Caribe de Fútbol) Championship 1941 |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesc/cccf41.html |publisher=RSSSF |access-date=18 April 2026 |date=19 November 2020}}</ref>
===Participants=== *{{fb|CRC}} *{{fb|Territory of Curaçao}} *{{fb|SLV}} *{{fb|NCA|1908}} *{{fb|PAN}}
==Squads== {{main|1941 CCCF Championship squads}}
==Referees== Two referees were used during the tournament:<ref name="deets">{{cite web |last1=Mendoza |first1=Eduardo |last2=Knight |first2=Ken |last3=Morrison |first3=Neil |title=I C.C.C.F. Championship 1941 - Match Details |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesc/cccf41det.html |publisher=RSSSF |access-date=18 April 2026 |date=19 November 2020}}</ref> *{{fbicon|ESP|1938}} Jacobo de Foinquinos *{{fbicon|CUB|1902}} José Tapia
==Venue== All matches were held at the Estadio Nacional in San José.<ref name="RSSSF"/> {|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" ! rowspan="8" |{{Location map+|Costa Rica|float=center|width=300|caption=|places= {{Location map~|Costa Rica|lat=9.9365|long=-84.107878|label=San José|position=bottom}}}} |- !San José |- |Estadio Nacional |- |Capacity: '''25,000''' |- |150px |}
==Summary== [[File:Hugo zuñiga.jpg|thumb|The President of the Republic of Costa Rica, Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia, presents the champion's trophy to the goalkeeper and captain of the national team, Hugo Zúñiga, (at his side) and to the coach Alejandro Morera Soto (in white).]]
The tournament began on 8 May 1941 when a Hans Nahar hat-trick looked to have sealed a win for Curaçao over Panama. However, a last-minute Antoine Neville penalty saw the match end 3–3. Two days later, a hat-trick from Jesús María Araya helped hosts Costa Rica to a 7–2 win against Nicaragua. The following day, El Salvador were held to a 2–2 by Curaçao who had been two goals down entering the last 20 minutes of the match. Costa Rica recorded their second win of the tournament, defeating Panama 7–0. Having played half their matches, Costa Rica sat top of the table with four points, two more than Curaçao and three ahead of El Salvador and Panama.<ref name="RSSSF"/>
On 13 May, Costa Rica extended their lead at the top of the table after a Fello Meza hat-trick helped them to a 6–2 win over Curaçao. Antonio Toledo also scored a hat-trick as El Salvador recorded the biggest win of the tournament, defeating Nicaragua 8–0. Two days later, El Salvador maintained their challenge for the trophy as they narrowly defeated Panama 4–3. In their final game, Nahar scored four times as Curaçao equalled the biggest win of the competition, defeating Nicaragua 9–1, to assure themselves of third place. With one round of matches left to play, Costa Rica held a one-point lead over El Salvador with the two due to play in the final match.<ref name="RSSSF"/>
Luis Carlos Rangel scored a hat-trick for Panama as they rounded off the competition with a 5–2 win against Nicaragua. In the final match, Jesús María Araya scored a brace as Costa Rica completed a clean sweep, winning all four of their matches, by defeating El Salvador 3–1.<ref name="RSSSF"/>
==Table== {{#invoke:sports table|main|style=WDL |res_col_header=QR |winpoints=2
|team1=CRC|name_CRC={{fb|CRC}}|status_CRC=C |team2=SLV|name_SLV={{fb|SLV}} |team3=TOC|name_TOC={{fb|Territory of Curaçao}} |team4=PAN|name_PAN={{fb|PAN}} |team5=NCA|name_NCA={{fb|NCA|1908}} |win_CRC=4|draw_CRC=0|loss_CRC=0|gf_CRC=23|ga_CRC=5 |win_SLV=2|draw_SLV=1|loss_SLV=1|gf_SLV=15|ga_SLV=8 |win_TOC=1|draw_TOC=2|loss_TOC=1|gf_TOC=16|ga_TOC=12 |win_PAN=1|draw_PAN=1|loss_PAN=2|gf_PAN=11|ga_PAN=16 |win_NCA=0|draw_NCA=0|loss_NCA=4|gf_NCA=5 |ga_NCA=29 |update=complete|source=<ref name="RSSSF"/> }}
==Results== {{football box |date=8 May 1941 |team1={{fb-rt|Territory of Curaçao}} |score=3–3 |report=<ref name="deets"/> |team2={{fb|PAN}} |goals1=Nahar {{goal|15||50||?}} |goals2= *Rangel {{goal|3||43}} *Neville {{goal|90|pen.}} |stadium=Estadio Nacional, San José |referee=Jacobo Foinquinos (Honduras) }} {{football box |date=10 May 1941 |team1={{fb-rt|NCA|1908}} |score=2–7 |report=<ref name="deets"/> |team2={{fb|CRC}} |goals1= *D. Morales {{goal|38}} *P. Robleto {{goal|46}} |goals2= *Rocha {{goal|7|o.g.}} *Mantainés {{goal|12|o.g.}} *Araya {{goal|18||22||29}} *Rodríguez {{goal|37}} *Arnáez {{goal}} |stadium=Estadio Nacional, San José |referee=José Tapia (Cuba) }} ---- {{football box |date=11 May 1941 |team1={{fb-rt|SLV}} |score=2–2 |report=<ref name="deets"/> |team2={{fb|Territory of Curaçao}} |goals1= *Gutiérrez {{goal|2}} *Contreras {{goal|43}} |goals2= *Nahar {{goal|70}} *Panneflek {{goal|72}} |stadium=Estadio Nacional, San José |referee=José Tapia (Cuba) }} {{football box |date=11 May 1941 |team1={{fb-rt|PAN}} |score=0–7 |report=<ref name="deets"/> |team2={{fb|CRC}} |goals2= *A. Varela {{goal|20}} *Meza {{goal|38||?||?||?}} *Rodriguez {{goal|?}} *Bonilla {{goal|?}} |stadium=Estadio Nacional, San José |referee=Jacobo Foinquinos (Honduras) }} ---- {{football box |date=13 May 1941 |team1={{fb-rt|CRC}} |score=6–2 |report=<ref name="deets"/> |team2={{fb|Territory of Curaçao}} |goals1= *A. Varela {{goal|5}} *Meza {{goal|30||60||?}} *Araya {{goal|64||89}} |goals2= *Pardo {{goal|10}} *Bernabela {{goal|?}} |stadium=Estadio Nacional, San José |referee=José Tapia (Cuba) }} {{football box |date=13 May 1941 |team1={{fb-rt|NCA|1908}} |score=0–8 |report=<ref name="deets"/> |team2={{fb|SLV}} |goals2= *Toledo {{goal|6||8||24}} *Donado {{goal|15}} *Rosales {{goal|43||?}} *R. Méndez {{goal|53||?}} |stadium=Estadio Nacional, San José |referee=Jacobo Foinquinos (Honduras) }} ---- {{football box |date=15 May 1941 |team1={{fb-rt|SLV}} |score=4–3 |report=<ref name="deets"/> |team2={{fb|PAN}} |goals1= *Gutiérrez {{goal|19||30}} *Rosales {{goal|60||85}} |goals2= *Anderson {{goal|10}} *Rangel {{goal|40}} *Castro {{goal|89}} |stadium=Estadio Nacional, San José |referee=José Tapia (Cuba) }} {{football box |date=15 May 1941 |team1={{fb-rt|Territory of Curaçao}} |score=9–1 |report=<ref name="deets"/> |team2={{fb|NCA|1908}} |goals1= *Pardo {{goal|5||8}} *Nahar {{goal|?||?||65||?}} *F. Jansen {{goal|?||?||88}} |goals2=D. Morales {{goal|18}} |stadium=Estadio Nacional, San José |referee=Jacobo Foiquinos (Honduras) }} ---- {{football box |date=18 May 1941 |team1={{fb-rt|PAN}} |score=5–2 |report=<ref name="deets"/> |team2={{fb|NCA|1908}} |goals1= *A. Morales {{goal|?}} *Rangel {{goal|35||?||?}} *Anderson {{goal}} |goals2= *D. Morales {{goal|7}} *García {{goal|?}} |stadium=Estadio Nacional, San José |referee=Jacobo Foiquinos (Honduras) }} {{football box |date=18 May 1941 |team1={{fb-rt|CRC}} |score=3–1 |report=<ref name="deets"/> |team2={{fb|SLV}} |goals1= *Araya {{goal|31||80}} *Meza {{goal|33}} |goals2=Mendez {{goal|37}} |stadium=Estadio Nacional, San José |referee=José Tapia (Cuba) }}
==Goalscorers== {{goalscorers |matches=10 |goals=70
|8 goals= *{{flagicon|CRC}} Fello Meza *{{flagicon|Territory of Curaçao}} Hans Nahar
|7 goals= *{{flagicon|CRC}} Jesús María Araya
|6 goals= *{{flagicon|PAN}} Luis Carlos Rangel
|5 goals= *{{flagicon|SLV}} Jorge Mendez
|3 goals= *{{flagicon|Territory of Curaçao}} Federico Jansen *{{flagicon|Territory of Curaçao}} Guillermo Pardo *{{flagicon|SLV}} René Gutiérrez *{{flagicon|SLV}} Antonio Toledo *{{flagicon|NCA|1908}} Dolores Morales
|2 goals= *{{flagicon|CRC}} Walker Rodriguez *{{flagicon|CRC}} Aníbal Varela *{{flagicon|SLV}} Aquilino Rosales *{{flagicon|PAN}} James Santiago Anderson
|1 goal= *{{flagicon|CRC}} Alfonso Arnaez *{{flagicon|CRC}} Santiago Bonilla *{{flagicon|Territory of Curaçao}} Reinaldo Bernabela *{{flagicon|Territory of Curaçao}} Humberto Panneflek *{{flagicon|SLV}} Alejandro Contreras *{{flagicon|SLV}} Gustavo Donado *{{flagicon|NCA|1908}} Ramón García *{{flagicon|NCA|1908}} Pedro Robleto *{{flagicon|PAN}} Virgilio Castro *{{flagicon|PAN}} Antonio Morales *{{flagicon|PAN}} Antoine Neville
|1 own goal= *{{flagicon|NCA|1908}} Abraham Rocha (against Costa Rica) *{{flagicon|NCA|1908}} Humberto Martinez (against Costa Rica) }}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{CCCF Championship}}
1941 CCCF Championship Category:CCCF Championship Championship Category:Men's international association football competitions hosted by Costa Rica Category:1941 in Costa Rica Category:May 1941 sports events in Costa Rica Category:Football competitions in San José, Costa Rica Category:20th century in San José, Costa Rica