Warner praises Nigerians for successful World Cup

Warner was a guest of Governor Rodrigo Medina of Monterrey in Mexico on Wednesday. Medina, 37, is one of the youngest ever Governors of Monterrey and has been in office for the last three weeks.

In the midst of discussions with Warner and the FIFA delegation, Medina has pledged to build two stadia in Monterrey with a capacity of over 50,000 seats each. Monterrey is the second largest city in Mexico, after Mexico City, with a population of over five million.

Warner also met with Mexican Football Federation President Justino Compean and General Secretary Decio de Maria.

With Mexico hosting the Under-17 World Cup in 2011, much of the focus will shift towards TT next year as it stages the Women’s FIFA Under 17 World Cup in September.

Meanwhile Warner was in an elated mood this week over the recent achievements of Joe Public football club and is anticipating the “Eastern Lions” bringing home the FA Trophy and Toyota Cup.

With Public, winners of the 2009 TT Pro League and Big Six title, back in the running for the CONCACAF Champions League, Warner said: “The club has made tremendous improvement and achieved much more than a lot of people expected. And they did it with a balanced team including several young promising players guided by a young coach in Derek King. For that, I am extremely proud and they deserve every bit of credit,” Warner said.

Meantime, the club’s general manager Darryl Warner said the club had adopted a policy of investing more in the youths.

“This year I brought in young players and staff who had the passion. What also helped us this season, was that we didn’t have the CONCACAF Champions’ League to play. But it’s something we have to prepare for next season,” young Warner explained. “It was this time last year when I realised that I wanted to go back to more youths. I thought we had too many prima donnas and stars...or should I say those who thought they were stars on the team,” he added.

Joe Public, with players from its coaching school, also captured both the League and Knock-Out Trophies in the Eastern Football Association, winning U-11 League and Knock-out, U-13 League and Knock-out, U-15 League and Knock-out and also U-17 League and Knock-out titles.

Joe Public’s Pro League, Super League and Eastern FA teams all made it through to this year’s TTFF FA Trophy competition.