The Ministry of Sports is expected to bear the majority of a $4 million budget for the T&T Football Association’s (T&TFA) hosting of the Soca Warriors next two international friendly matches at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo.
The first will be October 15 against Oceania champions and 2014 FIFA World Cup hopefuls, New Zealand from 7.15 pm which will provide locals the opportunity to see the team in action for the first time since their quarterfinal run at this year’s CONCACAF Gold Cup and third place finish at the recent OSN Cup in Saudi Arabia.
It will also be the first match for T&T on home soil since a 2–0 loss to Peru in February earlier this year while its last outing at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, was 2–3 loss to Finland on January 22, 2012.
The second match is expected to be played between November 14 and 17 against a yet to be determined highly ranked opponent which according to T&T Football Federation President, Raymond Tim Kee, will no doubt attract a big crowd.
These revelations were made at a media conference held yesterday by the T&TFA’s executive headed by Tim Kee.
The federation intends to set up a Heart of a Warrior fund in support of national defender Akeem Adams, who is currently warded in ICU at the Varosmajori Heart Clinic in Budapest, Hungary, after he suffered a heart attack last week and is awaiting a heart transplant.
With regards to the upcoming internationals, Tim Kee said his federation had a very long meeting with the Ministry of Sports, then another with Caribbean Airlines Limited and both were positive towards support for the team. He is also awaiting what he expects to be three more positive responses from other corporate companies as the T&TFA continues its efforts to attract partners.
He added, “We have been getting positive responses, but I still get the sense that people are waiting to see how well we start to do as a business. My pattern is for us to lift the standard of the football from what we have been in the past to much better in the future and I have no doubt we will get people on board, because we have to remember that football is also a business like any other and it sells like any other product as well.”
Another positive outlook for the T&TFA stated Tim Kee was that President Anthony Carmona has promised to meet with him again to discuss ways in attract some corporate sponsors, after their first meeting was cut short by the Head of State’s attending a funeral.
The T&TFA boss also said that the current situation surrounding national defender Akeem Adams was a sad one which requires digging deeper into thought as local clubs and the federation need to enquire from overseas clubs what kind of care they have for players in their contracts if something like this is to happen again.
“We at the T&TFA must ensure that we have our legal teams examine all these aspects of players contracts, with the local clubs, the Pro League as well, because for Adams his days for football maybe over, and its now a question of what’s next for him.
Commenting on the budget for both matches, Sheldon Phillips, general secretary of the T&TFA and son of former T&TFA technical director and national goalkeeper Lincoln “Tiger” Phillips, noted that the overall cost inclusive of all expenses will be near $4 million, but at the same time he was very confident that the local federation will be able to take away some of the burden on the Ministry of Sports in funding the entire sum.
Phillips added: “We are looking at tying up some deals so that if we are able to get some support from Caribbean Airlines for example, it will take away a lot of the travelling cost on players from our team as well as the visiting teams.
“That is just one example and we are also working on a few others, so we may be able to cut it down a great deal.”
Phillips said ticket prices for the matches will be $75; $100 and $125, from which $50 will go towards the Heart of a Warriors fund.
Tickets will be sold at The Fan Club (Movie Town and Gulf City); More Vino’s and Law 5 Sports Bar & Lounge, Chaguanas and a number of soon to be announced locations.
Children Under-12 will be admitted to the matches free accompanied by their parents or adults.
Phillip added that very soon T-Shirts designed by Native Spirit with the special Heart of a Warrior fund and T&TFA logo will also go on sale at various venues across the country.
During the half-time interval of the T&T/New Zealand encounter, the Soca Princesses Under-17 team which edged host Haiti 1–0 in their Caribbean Football Union final on Sunday night will also be honoured along with the their Marlon Charles and the rest of the technical staff.