Andrews at the helm in Gold Cup quest

MARVIN “DOG” Andrews will remain at the helm of the Trinidad and Tobago senior football squad as they seek qualification for the forthcoming CONCACAF Gold Cup in the USA and Mexico.

The Soca Warriors, under interim coach Zoran Vranes and assistant Jamaal Shabazz, will travel to Martinique at 8.30 am tomorrow where they will participate in a three-team playoffs with the hosts and Honduras, for two final places at the Gold Cup. Andrews, a defender from Scottish Premier Division club Livingston, two other UK-based players — midfielder Brent Rahim and defender Avery John — and the Defence Force duo of defender Anton Pierre and Jason Scotland remain from the squad which failed to gain an automatic spot at the semi-final Group “B” stage last month under former coach Hannibal Najjar.

The team features eight players who were among the ill-fated 19 suspended by the TT Football Federation (TTFF) in January following a pay dispute — then captain Travis Mulraine, fellow CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh members Kelvin Jack, Brent Sancho, Cyd Gray, Cornell Glen, Trent Noel, Joe Public’s Keyeno Thomas and W Connection’s Silvio Spann. J/Public’s Nigel Pierre and Connection’s Arnold Dwarika are fully recovered from injuries sustained earlier in the year and take their place in the team.

Former St Mary’s College goalkeeper Mikhel Peters is the lone newcomer in the team while Connection’s captain Reynold Carrington and Jabloteh’s defender Ansil Elcock both return to the national squad for the first time since TT’s early 2002 Gold Cup exit. The team will hold their final training session at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya, Tunapuna from 7 am today.

Full Squad — Kelvin Jack, Mikhel Peters (goalkeepers); Reynold Carrington, Ansil Elcock, Anton Pierre, Marvin Andrews, Brent Sancho, Avery John, Keyeno Thomas, Cyd Gray (defenders); Silvio Spann, Brent Rahim, Travis Mulraine, Trent Noel, Arnold Dwarika (midfielders); Jason Scotland, Cornell Glen, Nigel Pierre (strikers); George Joseph (manager), Zoran Vranes (coach), Jamaal Shabazz (assistant coach).