Trinidad and Tobago’s National Under 23 team has been grouped with Netherlands Antilles, Dominica and Grenada for the opening group phase of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) qualifiers towards the 2012 Olympic Games.
The CFU is yet to announce a host country as well as confirmed date although the tournament is set tentatively for either June 21st – 29th or July 19th-27th of this year.
The winner of each of the four CFU groups will progress to a final round in November from which the top two finishers will advance to the CONCACAF Final stage.
The local squad has been in training three days per week at the Hasely Crawford Stadium under assistant coach Angus Eve and Clint Marcelle.
The current 30-man squad comprises of several players who were part of the T&T Under 20 team which appeared at the 2009 FIFA Under 20 World Cup in Egypt.
According to team manager Norris Ferguson, the squad will be trimmed within the next few weeks and the coaches will also consider the inclusion of available overseas-based players.
“Preparations have been going reasonably well in that we have increased the sessions to three days per week from the one session a week which took place earlier in the year. We now have access to all the home-based players with League now being in off season,” Ferguson told TTFF Media.
“We increased the sessions to three a week from April 1 and the coaches will also have a look at the recommended overseas-based players depending on who is available for selection for training and competitions,” Ferguson added.
Among those players based overseas include Khaleem Hyland of SV Zulte Waregem in Belgium and English-based player Jake Thompson as well as defender Robert Primus, Kevin Molino and Leston Paul.
Among those in who have attended sessions include Under 20 skipper Sheldon Bateau, Sean De Silva, Uriah Bentick, Trevin Caesar, Akeem Adams, Juma Clarence, Jamal Gay, Stephen Knox, Daneil Cyrus, Aubrey David, Qian Grosvenor, Curtis Gonzales, Marvin Manswell, Glenroy Samuel, Andre Marchan, Marcus Joseph, Micah Lewis, Trent Lougheed, Chike Sullivan, Jevon Morris, Nicholas Walker and Jean-Luc Rochford among others.