National senior men and Under-20 team football coach Angus Eve has given his full backing to Anton Corneal's return as technical director (TD) of the T&T Football Association (TTFA).
The 58-year-old Corneal, a former coach/assistant coach for three different national teams at a FIFA World Cup at the Under-17, U-20 and senior level was appointed for the third time in his career as the national federation’s TD having served in the position previously from 2012-2014 and 2017-2019.
He takes over from Dion La Foucaude whose two-year contract ended on Monday (January 31).
Corneal, 58, who previously held the TTFA technical director position for different periods over the last 10 years, brings sterling credentials to the job.
A former national footballer, he is a certified coach educator and works with FIFA as a FIFA Technical Expert, mentoring technical directors and conducting FIFA Technical Director Leadership workshops both online and in person.
Corneal is also a Concacaf technical consultant, conducting coach licensing in the region along with being a member of the Concacaf Coaching Panel, assisting with the standardisation of coach education within the region.
Among his functions as TTFA TD Corneal, a former TTFA youth director of football in 2004, will be tasked with providing strategic direction, oversight and management of the technical department, delivering advice across all aspects of the department as well as contributing to the communication and delivery of our football philosophy across all areas.
Reached for comment on Corneal’s appointment, the 49-year-old Eve, T&T’s most capped player ever with 117 appearances, first paid tribute to outgoing TD Dion La Foucade for the work he has done.
Eve said, “Firstly, we must not forget the job that he (La Foucade) has done over the last two years. Because it’s been difficult times and I have been in the same situation as him trying to get programmes up and running in a pandemic so I know it has been very difficult for him, but I just want to thank him for the services that were rendered.”
He added “In the case of Anton Corneal, you know he has been here before. He has been at the helm in this capacity and different capacities in football, not just in T&T, but in Concacaf and FIFA.
“So Anton, you know, there are coaching courses that he can run that you know for the last two years have been very stagnant in that regard and this could be a good move for us from all those coaching educational standpoints and stuff because Anton has the qualifications to qualify coaches and run courses and set up programmes.
With respect to the current state of local football and its many setbacks during the COVID-19 pandemic off and on the field, Eve sees Corneal’s return as a positive which we should make full use of.
Eve added, “Anton's return is key because we need all of the people who have the required expertise to bring us out of this sporting doldrum that we are in right now.
"And Anton being that person who has coached at youth and senior level in T&T, and has done work with the Caribbean Football Union (CFU), Concacaf and FIFA by extension, his involvement would be invaluable.
"Especially at a time when I think the normalisation committee has always said that they needed somebody on board with that technical acrimony.
“Anton possesses that sort of expertise to take the coaches' education and programmes that a different level which we need to continue to educate our coaches and set up proper programmes and structures going forward.”
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