Warriors to warm up in Scotland

This and more was firmed up when Latapy met with officials of the TT Football Federation including its Special Advisor Jack Warner on Monday.

The trip to Scotland is expected to include at least three matches against Scottish Premier League clubs, details of which are being finalized. Latapy’s relations with the relevant parties in Scotland will see the “Soca Warriors” accommodated at a training centre there and engage in a camp over a ten day period in late July. T&T’s overseas-based players are also likely to join the team at some stages during the camp.

Prior to that, an 18-man squad will travel to Basseterre to take on the St Kitts/Nevis’ National Senior Team in a friendly international on July 4 at the Warner Stadium.

The invitation came from the St Kitts Football Association and was accepted by the TTFF. Latapy today named an 18-man squad that will travel to the island on July 2. A previous invitation from Grenada was not taken.

The squad is made up of mainly home-based professionals with Puerto Rico Islanders forward Kendall Jagdeosingh being the lone overseas-based player.

Latapy expressed some amount of satisfaction with the progress made by his players over the past two World Cup Qualifiers and mentioned particularly some of the home-based players, saying he anticipates working with the bunch.

“I’m quite happy with the young lads who came in. It was always very difficult to throw them into fire. I would much prefer to breed them and take my time with that process but that’s the situation we’re in where I’ve had to ask these young players to go out and perform at the highest level without having much experience. That is the nature of football and sometimes it’s a situation where you either sink or swim,” Latapy told TTFF Media.

“There are two young players in particular. There is something special about young Hayden Tinto. He’s quick with a low centre of gravity and he’s aggressive offensively which is something we need to get more into our game if we need goals. Then there’s Radanfah Abu Bakr who is a very confident young lad and very composed.

“We have a lot of old players involved now and this will be the changing of a generation which looks positive also. We have to start giving these players the experience because they are the ones who will be flying the flag for us. I know it was a difficult situation to throw them in the last couple games but I thought they came out with flying colours,” Latapy added.

The former Falkirk coach said he remained excited over the future of the national team and local football on a bigger picture.

“I am excited. We’ve always had a lot of talent especially with some of these players we have coming through now. But I am a realist and I know football is also a game of results so it’s one thing to perform to a decent standard but I would much prefer not to play well and win points particularly where we are at in this competition. But we will take the good with the bad… and in football, like in life, you move on and try to improve yourself and the team. You stick to your beliefs and once this happens… you can be sure there will be an improvement,” Latapy concluded.

T&T 18-man squad for St Kitts

Goalkeepers
Marvin Phillip (W Connection), Jan-Michael Williams (W Connection).

Defenders
Keyeno Thomas (Joe Public F.C.), Makan Hislop (United Petrotrin), Aklie Edwards (Defence Force), Radanfah Abu Bakr (Caledonia AIA), Nickcolson Thomas (W Connection).

Midfielders
Densill Theobald (Caledonia AIA), Trent Noel (United Petrotrin), Ataullah Guerra (San Juan Jabloteh), Hughtun Hector (W Connection), Andre Toussaint (W Connection), Hayden Tinto (Joe Public F.C.), Keon Daniel (Caledonia AIA), Russell Latapy (Player/Coach).

Forwards
Devon Jorsling (Defence Force), Kendall Jagdeosingh (Puerto Rico Islanders),  Kerry Baptiste (Joe Public F.C.).