Former Trinidad and Tobago football captain Carlton "The General" Franco has sent his best wishes to the current national senior team as they seek to qualify for the Germany 2006 World Cup when they take on Bahrain at the Hasely Crawford Stadiun in the first of a two-leg tie today from 6.30 p.m.
The following is Franco's letter, sent from his home in Vancouver, Canada:
Trinidad and Tobago's footballers will be in a battle with Bahrain on November 12 and 16 to qualify for the 2006 World Cup Finals in Germany. Trinbagonians all over the globe are hoping for the best as previous attempts to get to the world's greatest football spectacle have ended in disappointment.
To set the background, it was 1973 when T&T was in a similar position. We had to defeat Haiti to move on to the 1974 finals in Germany. Unfortunately, we lost due to a corrupt referee who was subsequently banned by FIFA.
Sixteen years later in 1989 we only needed a draw against the USA, but lost this home game by a one-goal margin, thereby denying us a trip to Italy in 1990.
It has taken us another 16 years to get this close to joining the world's best in Germany in 2006. The number 16 seems to appear on every occasion that we have an opportunity to qualify. Let's just hope this number will be lucky for us this time.
If the Soca Warriors are able to accomplish this feat it will be the greatest achievement in the 97-year history of T&T football. This statement is not meant to minimise the bronze medal performance by the T&T team at the Pan Am Games in 1967 in Winnipeg, Canada, but I am sure that most people will agree that participating in the World Cup is the ultimate experience. Come on Yorke, Latapy, John, Hislop, Andrews, and the rest of the Soca Warriors-finish the job that the teams in 1973 and 1989 could not. Create history. Good Luck.