Tobago United and National Quarries North East Stars are in a rush to fill their rosters each with two international professionals before the T&T Professional Football League transfer window closes at 3pm today.
The Tobagonians, currently bottom on the seven-team league table with three drawn results in 13 matches, are awaiting International Transfer Clearance documents to arrive from the Nigerian Football Association to the T&T Football Federation to complete the transfers of Football Academy (Lagos) players Aminu Erilme, 22, and Samsideen Olutunji Quadri, 21.
Should the two players complete their move on time, they will be the first international players to sign for Tobago coach Peter Granville this season.
Another club which has been busy during the transfer window (August 31- September 14) is defending league champions Stars, who have off-loaded at least five players while signing four players.
Stars have already welcomed back former captain Charles Pollard of Guyana, following his brief spell at CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh while manager Darryl Mahabir is also awaiting clearance so that he can sign two players, Walter Moore of Guyana, who currently plays in Suriname and Jaffar Munroe, a striker from Montserrat.
League leaders VIBE CT 105 W Connection is also awaiting word from the Oman Football Federation so that it can complete the capture of Nigeria’s Iyiaka Okechukwu Stanley.
The 22-year-old Stanley previously played for Dedeyah in the Oman League and was told about the PFl by former W Connection striker Alexandra Conte, also from Nigeria.
Following a 10-day trial at the club under technical director, former national coach Stuart Charles-Fevrier of St Lucia, it was decided by team officials to offer the African striker a deal.
Contacted yesterday, Raymond Mc Lean manager of W Connection said:
“We spoke to the Oman Federation this morning and they assured us that they will send his documents before the deadline.
“We are just keeping our fingers crossed and hope it comes through in time.”
Should the transfers come through, they will bring the total of international players currently plying their trade in the PFL to 25 of the 175 players engaged, with W Connection having 11 on its roster.
Stars have six with two more set to sign, Jabloteh three, Caledonia AIA/Fire two, and Tobago set to sign two.
AIA/Fire also had Oneke Forde of Jamaican club Sporting Central on trial with a view of signing the forward by today’s deadline.
Because of its status, Defence Force is not entitled to sign any international players, while United Petrotrin boast the only other all-local team in the league.
Jabloteh and North East Stars are also under the leadership of foreign coaches.