With FIFA President Gianni Infantino scheduled to arrive in Port of Spain on Monday morning for a series of events related to football development, one of the fun-filled and light-hearted activities slated to take place will be a football match between a FIFA/TTFA team and a Government/Sportt outfit at the Ato Boldon Stadium following the press conference at the Couva venue during the afternoon period.
There are some well known personalities that will line up for both teams. TTFA President David John-Williams is expected to lead out a well balanced outfit consisting of names such as Dennis Lawrence, Stern John, Russell Latapy, Jamaal Shabazz, Women’s Team coach Carolina Morace, Jinelle James, TTFA General Secretary Justin Latapy-George, Brian Williams, Stuart Charles Fevrier, Richard Piper, Muhammad Isa, Ross Russell and Clayton Ince also including FIFA President Infantino and members of his visiting entourage as well as other TTFA officials.
The Sportt Company/Government team will include the likes of Minister of Sports Darryl Smith, Minister of National Security Edmund Dillon, Esmond Forde, Anthony Blake, Joel Gibbons, Dwayne Richardson, Tyrone Marcus, Cindy Cupid, Richard Smith, Garvin Warrick, Dexter Skeene, Omar Hadeed, Francis Lovell,Maylee Attin-Johnson, Leonson Lewis, Jomo Pitt and Jason Williams among others.
The game will comprise of two fifteen minute halves.
Shortly after being elected as FIFA President last year, Infantino spent part of his first day at the office hosting a football match at FIFA headquarters for staff and several greats of his generation.
“A great day,” Infantino said later. “The hard works starts now, we are ready for that.”
In January, Infantino and Diego Maradona played in ‘Team One’ of a four-team competition, lining up alongside the likes of Gabriel Batistuta, Macel Desailly, Lucas Radabe and Francesco Toldo in Zurich.
They took on other star-studded teams with Dwight Yorke, Carles Puyol, Walter Zenga, Pablo Aimar, Eric Abidal and Michel Salgado all turned out for the light-hearted event.
Infantino will arrive here on Monday after attending the CONCACAF Congress in Aruba over the past two days which was also attended by John-Williams and Latapy-George. The FIFA boss is also scheduled to visit Grenada and Guyana prior to his arrival at Piarco for a day of activities which includes official visits and meetings with President Anthony Carmona, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and TTFA officials.
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FIFA legends Juan Pablo Angel and Aimar to join Infantino on Visit to T&T.
TTFA Media.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino will be joined by two FIFA legends during his one-day visit to this country on Monday.
Former Argentina international Pablo Caesar Aimar and former Colombia national team forward Juan Pablo Angel Arango will arrive in the country on Monday and will appear in the goodwill football match at the Ato Boldon Stadium between a TTFA/FIFA team and a Government/Sportt outfit.
Ángel scored 44 goals in 175 appearances for Aston Villa, also appearing for Colombian club Atletico Nacional, River Plate and LA Galaxy among other teams. He made 33 appearances for Colombia between 1995-2005.
Aimar made 52 appearances for Argentina between 1999 and 2009, also appearing for Argentina’s National Under 17 and Under 20 teams. He played for River Plate, Valencia, Zaragoza and Benfica. He represented Argentina at the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups and two Copa América tournaments, as well as a FIFA Confederations Cup. He reached the final of the 2005 Confederations Cup and the 2007 Copa América with the Argentine national side. Aimer was also a member of the Argentina team the won the 1997 FIFA Under 20 World Cup in Malaysia.
Both Angel and Aimar will take part in the 30-minute football match following a Press Conference at the Ato Boldon Stadium on Monday afternoon. FIFA President Infantino will also partake in the match which will include several local officials, past players and personalities. Infantino is also scheduled to meet with President of the Republic Anthony Carmona and Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley during his visit to this country.
Infantino was in Aruba on the weekend for the CONCACAF XXXII Ordinary Congress which was also attended by TTFA President David John-Williams and General Secretary Justin Latapy-George. Elections were conducted for CONCACAF and FIFA Councils positions at the Congress.
The Confederation’s membership also received updates from the implementation of the ONE CONCACAF Vision as well as a report of the progress achieved in each of the Confederation’s divisions, including a review of the organization’s strategic roadmap and the 2017 financial budget, which was approved.
While opening the Congress, CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani emphasized the need to bring the World Cup back to CONCACAF in 2026, for which the Congress displayed rousing, unanimous support. To that end, three CONCACAF member nations – Canada, Mexico and the United States — have scheduled a “historic announcement” for Monday, April 10 in New York City, featuring CONCACAF and Canadian Soccer Association President Montagliani, Mexican Football Federation and CONCACAF Vice President Decio de Maria and U.S. Soccer Federation and FIFA Council Member Sunil Gulati.
He also announced the creation of a Players Ambassador Program aimed at advising and supporting CONCACAF in its mission to develop football.
Members received a review of the advances in the areas of football operations, commercial, finance and administration, as well as legal and compliance. The administration presented a strategic roadmap for the organization within the framework of the ONE CONCACAF Vision in order to achieve the Confederation’s mission to develop the game.
Associations received a comprehensive budget report as a result of the governance and transparency measures implemented in the 2016-2017 period. With a strictest discipline, the organization continues establishing controls and processes to ensure integrity and comply with ethical business standards.
The annual meeting was attended by Prime Minister of Aruba, The Right Honorable Michiel Godfried Eman; and Minister of Public Health, Elderly Care and Sports in Aruba, The Honorable Dr. Carlos Alex Schwengle; FIFA President Gianni Infantino; CONMEBOL President, Alejandro Dominguez, and David Borja, AFC Advisor to the President.