The Trinidad and Tobago National Senior Team program commenced last Sunday with training sessions at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva.
This was confirmed by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation, TTFF President Oliver Camps disclosed that he had in fact received confirmation on Friday from Minister of Sport Roger Boynes on the Government’s approval of the cheque valued at $18 million(TT) that would go towards this country’s qualification bid for South Africa 2010 and would be made available to the local governing body next week.
As a result, the TTFF’s General Secretary Richard Groden in a press release advised that both the Senior Team and Olympic Team will begin preparations for upcoming tournaments.
The Senior team’s immediate program involves preparations to contest the CONCACAF Gold Cup in the United States in June.
The team was scheduled to travel to Caracas to face the Venezuela’s National Senior team in a friendly international on March 24, 2007, but it was cancelled.
However, it has been confirmed the Soca Warriors will face El Salvador in an international friendly arranged by Digicel in San Salvador on April 7, 2007.
National Senior Team Coach Wim Rijsbergen has invited 24 players, 23 of which are Pro League players with Jason Scotland being the only foreign-based player for preparations for the two upcoming friendly internationals.
Apart from the upcoming friendly internationals, Rijsbergen and his men can also look forward to the Digicel Anniversary Cup, which will be a four-nation tournament to be played in T&T in April.
The TTFF also officially announced on Friday that last season’s Pro League “Coach of the Year” and now ex-Joe Public head Coach Michael Mc Comie has been officially appointed as assistant coach of the T&T Olympic Team and would work alongside Van Deinsen as the team prepares for upcoming qualifying competition towards the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
The Olympic team is the third National Team alongside the Under 17 team, which will be preparing for upcoming tournaments. The Under 17’s are currently gearing towards the CONCACAF Final round of qualification (April 28-May 6) towards the 2007 FIFA Under-17 World Championship.
On the resumption of the program and the upcoming international warm up matches, Rijsbergen was naturally a pleased, but noted that there was no time for delays in the preparation of his team.
“This is good news of course, that the program can continue but it also means that we are a bit behind time in preparing for the Gold Cup and we have had to schedule two quick matches to catch up on lost time,” Rijsbergen said.
“We will work with it and make the best of these arrangements. The recent delay means that we are short of practice but we will work to suit,” he said.
The National Senior Coach is also calling for support by the Pro League Clubs on the release of players who are currently in pre-season training saying, “We hope that everyone will co-operate with each other because it’s tough from all sides. The local clubs are now into their pre-season but there should be some co-operation because they recognize the benefits of their players playing at a higher level,” ended Rijsbergen.
Invited Players: Daurance Williams (San Juan Jabloteh), Marvin Phillip (unattached), Jan Michael Williams (W Connection), Seon Power (Joe Public) Nickcolson Thomas(W Connection),Dwayne Jack, (Tobago United), Nigel Daniel (San Juan Jabloteh), Glenton Wolfe (North East Stars), Khaleem Hyland (Jabloteh), Keyeno Thomas (Jabloteh), Kwame Wiltshire (Joe Public), Romauld Aguillera (Petrotrin), Kerwyn Jemmot (Superstar Rangers), Christian Baptiste (Defence Force), Andrei Pacheco (W Connection), Keon Daniel (Petrotrin) Trent Noel (Jabloteh), Densill Theobald (Caledonia AIA), Kerry Baptiste (Joe Public), Gary Glasgow (Joe Public), Andre Toussaint (W Connection), Abiola Clarence (unattached), Silas Spann (Joe Public) and Jason Scotland (St Johnstone).