President of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) Kieron Edwards has said that invitations to select the new coach of the T&T Soca Warriors will go out this week.
His claim, coming a day before the Soca Warriors were set to take on French Guiana in game two of a CONCACAF Nations League encounter at the Dwight Yorke Stadium in Bacolet, Tobago, was not due to the team’s 4-0 loss to Honduras in their opening match of the Nations League in Tegucigalpa last Friday (September 6).
The loss puts the Soca Warriors in a must-win situation against French Guiana tonight from 7 pm, with a home and away series against Cuba to decide their final position in the four-team group. Only the top two teams will advance.
Edwards and his executive severed ties with then-head coach Angus Eve without selecting a coach to take over. It was a decision they were heavily criticised for, with the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers already taking place.
Contacted Monday (September 9), Edwards said the process has been delayed a bit, but they have to be realistic with the process, saying the new coach must meet the requirements outlined so that they can receive the style of football and the results to take the country to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Following Eve’s departure in July, the TTFA, in a release, said it would commence the search for a new coach, as its focus was set firmly on the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign. “We recognise the importance of having a clear pathway for qualification, which requires the full support of the government, private sector, and citizens,” the statement said.
Quizzed about the decision to send out the invitation was due to the 4-0 loss of the Soca Warriors under caretaker coach Derek King last week, Edwards responded, no, not all.
“I know we hardly have time, but we cannot rush the process. We know that the toughest game in the group would have been against Honduras, and what they told me is that they would have planned for that result. This means that we have to win today,” Edwards explained.
The French Guiana men also ended on the losing end to Nicaragua in its opening match, 1-0.
The Warriors now have to beat their opponents tonight and win their home and away encounters against the Cubans in October. Though the Honduras match was expected to be their biggest challenge, Edwards said he was satisfied with the Warriors’ performance up to a point, noting that there were lots of positives to take away from the match.
He told Guardian Media Sports that he is hoping that lots of quality coaches will apply for the job. Soon after the firing of Eve, one member of the football association said former national striker turn coach Dwight Yorke and ex-United States coach Gregg Berhalter were interested in the job.
It is unsure whether the coaches would actually submit their resumes; however, King, the country’s caretaker coach, is expected to apply.
SOURCE: T&T Guardian