Trinidad & Tobago's Soca Warriors will be using their new red Adidas kit when they take on Iceland from 7.45 p.m. (3.45 TT time) on Tuesday in a friendly international at the Queen's Park Rangers' Loftus Road stadium in London.
The match will be shown by delayed telecast from 8 p.m. on Channel 4 and is the first of five friendly internationals which the Warriors play prior to competing at the 2006 World Cup in Germany from June 9 -July 9. T&T are also due to engage Peru, Slovenia, Wales and the Czech Republic prior to taking on Sweden, England and Peru in their preliminary World Cup matches.
Yesterday, manager Bruce Aanensen said that since T&T were responsible for arranging the friendly with Iceland, they will be considered the home team and will be using their red gear.
"We used the Adidas kit in Bahrain, but that was just a temporary kit. We played in what they had had around. But against Iceland, we will wear the new kit they have designed for the "Soca Warriors" according to the sponsorship deal they have with the team. "
It was also revealed that equipment manager Ikin Williams had left for London since Thursday to take possession of the Adidas kit and other equipment which the team will now use. Head coach Leo Beenhakker and his two assistants Wim Rijsbergen and Anton Corneal departed for England yesterday ahead of the local and American-based contingents which leave tonight.
Aanensen heads the local party which includes players Aurtis Whitley, Silvio Spann, Nigel Henry and Cyd Gray will fly out at 7.20 p.m. aboard flight BW 900.
At the same time, United States-based midfielder Kevon Neaves, Avery John and Anthony Noreiga will head for London via Florida. All are due to reach London at 9.15 a.m. tomorrow and will be based at the Renaissance Hotel, located along the Bath Road at Heathrow International Airport.
After a short rest, the team have their first training session at 4.30 p.m. tomorrow afternoon at QPR's training ground which is also located near Heathrow. Once the property of Chelsea football club, the training complex is located a mere stone's throw away from the Renaissance Hotel and has more than nine football fields on the premises. The team will train twice on Monday before meeting Iceland the following day. A large West Indian contingent is expected to tun out for the match.
Aanensen is expecting a good showing from the Soca Warriors despite the presence of five new players. Coach Beenhakker has included Anthony Warner, Ricky Shakes, Henry, Noreiga and Neaves, all of whom he has given a chance to break into his final 23-man W orld Cup roster.
"There are some new guys in the team and I imagine we will be a 'lil bit rusty,"Aanensen said. " There is also not a hell of a lot of time to prepare for the game. But these guys are all professional players so they should be able to come together on the field. Iceland are also not a bad bunch, they have a couple of good players in Helgusson (Fulham) and Eidur Gudjonsson of Chelsea. A win by any score will be good for Trinidad and Tobago."