Axe to fall on head of f/ball coach

STUART CHARLES-FEVRIER is likely to have his contract as Technical Director of the national football team terminated on Friday. This is when the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation will issue a media statement to clear  up recent speculation concerning the fate of the affable St Lucian. However, Newsday has learnt that a decision has been made to demote Charles-Fevrier as Technical Director but have him remain within the ranks of the technical staff.

On Friday the Technical Committee of the Football Federation are also expected to name his replacement who could be an overseas coach, sources indicated yesterday. This move is similar to one made in March 2001 when Brazilian Rene Simoes was added to the technical staff under then coach Ian Porterfield of Scotland. Simoes, who was hired as the TT Under-17 coach for the 2001 FIFA Under-17 World Championship, later took over the ranks when Porterfield was fired in June 2001. The Technical Committee of the TTFF held a meeting at their Dundonald Street, Port-of-Spain office on Monday evening to discuss a report made by their Development Committee.

The members of the Technical Committee comprised TTFF vice-president Raymond Tim Kee, CONCACAF officers Alvin Corneal (Technical Officer), Development Officer Richard Braithwaite, Youth Development officer Keith Look Loy; former national youth coach Muhammad Isa and ex-national player Dr Alvin Henderson. In the job for the past eight months, and with a record of four wins, three draws and three losses from ten matches, the St Lucian-born coach has been the subject of speculation. It has been reported that the TTFF were in the process of terminating his three-year contract and were contacting or considering other candidates for the position.

The former W Connection coach, who replaced interim coach Zoran Vranes in May 2, 2003, (after Hannibal Najjar resigned a month earlier following a failed CONCACAF Gold Cup campaign), declined to comment on the matter yesterday. “As soon as the (TTFF) makes an announcement then I can talk about it,” Charles-Fevrier said yesterday. Any shake-up is certain to negatively affect the national Under-23 team currently preparing for the 2004 CONCACAF Olympic qualifiers in Mexico from February 2-12.