Trinidad and Tobagos senior footballers will now spend a longer period at home leading up to the February 9 World Cup qualifier against United States after a decision was taken on Thursday to switch the proposed friendly internationals on January 31 and February 2 from Miami to the Queens Park Oval, Port of Spain.
The games will now be played on February 1 and 3 after the venue has now been made available to the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation.
Both games will be played against Haiti and T&T will have the services of the requested overseas pros while Brazilian-born midfielder Jose Luis Seabra will also be kept in the squad.
However, the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation has given up hope on getting the Government to grant citizenship to Seabra as there is yet to be any response on the matter less than three weeks before the USA clash. Hopes were up that Seabra would be given his T&T passport which would have allowed him to line up against the Americans but the technical staff of the team has been left waiting and have decided to go ahead in their preparations but will keep Seabra in the squad for the friendlies against Azerbaijan and Haiti, allowing the viewing public the chance to see the players worth.
TTFF special adviser Jack Warner, on his arrival back from Brazil on Thursday evening expressed disappointment that Seabra and the TTFF have been left waiting.
We have given up all hopes and I think it would be a lie if I said that we are all disappointed that the matter has not been dealt with in favour of the countrys football team which is now preparing for World Cup qualification. But the football goes on and we are prepared to get over this obstacle. We will in fact keep the player with us with the aim that he can maybe in some way still help the team in its efforts to get to Germany because I think everyone is aware of his qualities and even our top players may be grateful to have him around. He will be in the squad for the two games and the people will see for themselves. Even the captain of the Brazil 1970 World Cup team Carlos Alberto is saying that Seabra should be given the chance to play for this country, Warner told TTFF Media.
Jamaica will not be facing T&T before February 9 as originally carded but both teams will meet in the opening match of the Digicel Caribbean Cup finals in Barbados on February 20.