Three members of the Trinidad Tobago Under 20 team which qualified for the FIFA Under 20 World Championship last Wednesday have been called up to the National Senior Team for Wednesday’s friendly international against Panama at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium.
T&T U20 team captain Leston Paul, midfielder Sean De Silva and defender Robert Primus are part of the roster selected by head coach Francisco Maturana.
Primus has been part of the Senior Team, accompanying them on a recent training camp in Argentina while Paul has been called up in the past for training. But all three have earned their first call ahead of a friendly international.
“The door is always open to players to represent the country at the international level and now we have asked these players to join the team and we shall take it forward from here,” Maturana told TTFF Media.
“It is always a good sight when there is promise at the youth level and with Trinidad (and Tobago) qualifying for Egypt then there is good possibility for the future of the national team. We have to prepare for Honduras and America and for that the game on Wednesday will be significant,” he added.
TTFF Special Advisor Jack Warner, on Saturday declared that the U-20 team would get all the support necessary so too the Senior “Soca Warriors.”
“One team has already qualified and another is in the midst of a qualifying campaign. The Under 20s surpassed the expectations of some and then to hold the United States for 120 minutes and then fall short only on penalty kicks is a clear signal that our youth team has come a long way and performed creditably hence the reason for our qualification. This team must be kept together and so too all other upcoming teams so as to avoid the occurrence of the past where teams have been together for some six months before a tournament. This current teams has been together for three or more years,” Warner added.
“Every effort will be made to continue this program and the same support will be given to the Senior Team because South Africa is our next stop.”
Last week Maturana announced a preliminary squad of 16 players with a decision to reveal the U20 additions following Friday’s semi-final round in the CONCACAF Qualifying tournament.
The squad includes; Marvin Phillip, Jan Michael Williams, Anthony Wolfe, Makan Hislop, Keyeno Thomas, Andrei Pacheco, Primus, Akeil Guevara, Lester Peltier, Clyde Leon, Trent Noel, Kevaughn Connell, Densill Theobald, Russell Latapy, Errol McFarlane and Cornell Glen plus Paul and De Silva.
These players will assemble for training at 9:30 am on Sunday at the AtoBoldon Stadium .The U20 players have been invited to train from Monday.
