A foreign national team is not a ‘team’

THE EDITOR: While listening an observing closely at the recently concluded Gold Cup qualifiers, I couldn’t help but wonder what was happening to our national team. Prior to the results of the game against Cuba, I was appalled by my observations. The powers to be seem unable to accurately visualise or fully comprehend that football in TT is slowly deteriorating. This manner of negligence is being  displayed by our top sportsmen and leaders in this field, which in my opinion is totally unacceptable.

Could you imagine, a national team comprised mainly of “so called” foreign based professional players with a few selected locals? This process should be reserved. We have lost all direction and focus. We need to give our local players the exposure and the opportunity to develop their skills and ability in this field. Yes coach, we do want to gain our best “team,” not just individuals. The kind of message being sent to our young and aspiring footballers is, in order to qualify for the national team, one must be foreign based. This type of bias action and opinion, could only destroy and discourage the minds, spirit and potential of our young and zealous sportsmen, while impacting negatively on our leaders in this field.

I reiterate and emphasise that football is a team sport comprised of individuals. Not an individual sport. We need to recruit team players with an inordinate desire to work harmoniously and co-exist with each other; players who possess that commitment, passion and drive towards achieving the ultimate goal for their team and their country. We don’t need players who are of the opinion that they are stars or professionals and are unable to commit to the team because they are foreigners and over confident. This could only hurt the future of the team.

It is disappointing to note that year after year we continue to produce a national team that is not mentally or physically ready to achieve winning results. A tournament of such calibre and stature as the Gold Cup, and here we are, only a couple of weeks before the tournament commences, and we choose to recruit ten foreign based players and expect them to perform successfully as a team, while our talented local players fall to the side. This is such a shame.

In addition, we tend to focus more on playing amongst ourselves or mediocre teams, which is not the style and level of football played in tournaments. We need to challenge our players and give them the exposure to play with European and South American teams in order for them to develop physically and mentally as professionals. In my humble opinion, this national foreign based team was a big mistake coach Najar. It is time for us to give our locally based, professional players much more credit and recognition, as well as improved sporting facilities. For it is only then are we able to achieve maximum effort from all and move forward as a team toward success.

LENO  FORDE
Arima