T&T Under-20 footballers will be back in action today when they come up African Under-20 runners-up Cameroon in another international warm-up match at the Adora Football Centre, Antayla, Turkey.
The match will serve as part of both teams continuing preparations for the Fifa Under-20 World Cup in Egypt, which kicks off on September 24.
The European-based duo, Khaleem Hyland of Belgium’s Zulte Waregem and Jamal Gay of Germany’s Rott Weiss Oberhausen who joined the T&T camp on Friday, are expected to feature in today’s encounter having played in a match against a local club team from Antayla on Sunday.
Upon arrival in Turkey on Friday both Hyland and Gay expressed their excitement in joining the team and being part of what they hope will be part of history. “We will be first T&T team to win at the World Cup level” added Gay. T&T coach, Yugoslav-born Zoran Vranes and his assistant coaches, Hutson Charles and Anton Corneal also met with the two players and briefed them on the expectations.
After the meeting Vranes said, “These two players are welcome, and I look forward to them being part of our team. A lot is expected from them based on their experience.” In preparations for today’s match, the T&T Under-20 team, 2–1 winners over the United Arab Emirates in a warm-up match on Thursday, had a two-hour training session.
Today’s encounter will be followed by matches against UAE on Thursday and two more encounters with club teams from Antayla. The last two matches were added to the schedule after Costa Rica failed to arrive for the warm-up series.
England-born utility player, Jake Thomson is also expected to join the T&T camp Thursday. T&T will then travel to Cyprus for matches against USA and Australia before meeting host Egypt in the World Cup opener on September 24 followed by Pool A matches against Italy (September 28) and Italy, three days later. Cameroon is grouped with USA, Germany and Korea Republic in Pool C.