Charles-Fevrier new TT football coach

ST LUCIAN Stuart Charles-Fevrier is the new football coach of Trinidad and Tobago. He has been given the mantle of head coach of the national senior and Under-23 football squads on the basis of a successful three-and-a-half year stint as technical director of Caribbean champions W Connection. Charles-Fevrier replaces Zoran Vranes, who was appointed interim coach following the resignation of Hannibal Najjar on April 2.

He will have as his assistants Jamaal Shabazz, Caledonia AIA and national women’s coach,  ex-Strike Squad defender Brian Williams, who is current coach of South West Institute of Football (SWIF) and goalkeeper coach Ross Russell who retains his position. Also retaining their posts are manager George Joseph, fitness coach Wayne Lawson and equipment manager Ikin Williams.

Anthony Walcott of W Connection will serve as the team’s physiotherapist while the team doctor is 30-year-old Dr Terrence Babwah, head of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) Sports Medicine Committee. The full disclosure of the new technical staff were announced at a news conference at the TNT North Room, Crowne Plaza Hotel, yesterday, under the theme “Project 2006 — The Way Forward.”

Since 1989, when Trinidad and Tobago came within one point of advancing to Italia 90, there have been over nine changes of head coach including  Vranes who had two stints, Brazilian Sebastian Pereira De Araujo, Tobago’s Bertille St Clair, Englishman Ian Porterfield, Brazilian Rene Simoes, Clayton Morris, Shabazz and Najjar. A squad of 27 players are currently in training as the national senior team prepare for a four-match African tour. They play on May 31 against Kenya, June 7 vs Kenyan U-23s (both at Nairobi), June 10 against Botswana at Gaborone and June 15 against “Bafana Bafana” South Africa at East London.

Three major appointments were released at the media conference, with former national player Anton Corneal serving as director of youth development, Marlon Charles director of women development and legendary Bobby Sookram,  chairman/convenor of the national football scouts committee. Addressing the gathering, FIFA vice-president and TTFF special advisor Jack Austin Warner noted that the plan was derived from a spate of meetings with stakeholders, the TTFF executive committee as well as top local administrators lasting 10 days.

Warner also revealed that the estimated costs of the national senior and U-23 teams from June 2003 to August 2006 is $23 million, with $2 million received courtesy a soft loan from an unnamed bank. But a committee comprising himself, TTFF president Oliver Camps and vice-president Raymond Tim Kee will meet with Finance Minister, Prime Minister Patrick Manning for assistance in the venture. Charles-Fevrier, the 44-year-old St Lucian-born coach described yesterday as “emotional but important” as he “always wanted to give something back to Trinidad football.”

During his playing career, the former defender was a member of Arima-based club Fulham (1977-1978), Phoenix Professionals (1979), Aviation Services Limited (1980-1985) and Trintoc (1986). “I’ll like to thank the TTFF for showing confidence in me,” he said, during the news conference. “I’m now part of a dedicated management team who want to bring back respect to Trinidad and Tobago football at the international level,” he said. Charles-Fevrier, a holder of an English FA Licence, led W Connection to a number of titles locally, including the 2000 and 2001 Professional Football League (PFL) crowns. Due to his elevation to the senior team coaching job, another Strike Squad member Leroy Spann will take over as coach of the Southern-based team.

Here is the current training squad: Goalkeepers — Peter Ramon-Fortune (Fire), Michael Jan-Williams (W Connection), Donovan Thomas (Joe Public); Defenders — Reynold Carrington (W Connection), Keyeno Thomas, Derek King (Joe Public), Anton Pierre, Corey Rivers (Defence Force), Kenwyne Jones (W Connection), Lyndon Diaz (SWIF), Randy Harris (Police), Nigel Daniel (San Juan Jabloteh);  Midfielders —  Silvio Spann (W Connection), Travis Mulraine, Kerry Baptiste, Josh Johnson, Trent Noel (San Juan Jabloteh), Conrad Smith (Caledonia AIA), Dale Saunders (Starworld Strikers), Kerwyn Jemmott (W Connection); Strikers — Kester Cornwall (Starworld Strikers), Nigel Pierre, Andre Toussaint (Joe Public), Kendall Davis (W Connection), Cornell Glen, Kerry Noray (San Juan Jabloteh), and Neri Joseph (Police).