Soca Warriors for S/Africa

Trinidad and Tobago’s national football team has accepted an invitation to play a friendly international against South Africa in the summer, officials said.

The match will take place in Johannesburg on June 11, CEO Danny Jordaan of the South African Football Association has said. Trinidad and Tobago officials said it will be an ideal warm-up for the team’s anticipated participation in the CONCACAF Gold Cup finals scheduled for the United States in July. Jordaan was in Trinidad this weekend to meet with CONCACAF president Jack Warner, who is also a FIFA vice president, to discuss South Africa’s bid to host the 2010 World Cup. “We came very close in 2006, but we lost to Germany by one vote,” Jordaan said. “We must now reassure the world that we are ready as we had been in 2006. We have the stadiums, the transportation, the hospitality and the hotels to host the event.” “And to this end we are therefore happy and excited to host the Trinidad and Tobago footballers in June, to demonstrate our readiness,” he added. Trinidad and Tobago will host one group — comprised of Antigua and Barbuda, Guadeloupe and Cuba — in the final phase of Gold Cup qualifiers from March 28-30.