TT footballers for Libya, Egypt

TRINIDAD and Tobago footballers will break new ground when they play Libya in a friendly international in Tripoli in April. This trip was made possible following a meeting between FIFA vice-president and Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) special adviser Jack Austin Warner and Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi. And the TT footballers, under recently-appointed coach Bertille St Clair, will also travel to neighbouring Egypt a few days later for another friendly international against the Egyptians now participating in the African Nations Cup. Warner was recently guest-of-honour of the Libyan President as he watched  the country’s plans for their bid for the 2010 World Cup.

And during his visit, Warner took the opportunity to request the games, which will be part of the Trinidad and Tobago team’s preparation for their  “Journey to Germany” World Cup 2006. Warner returned home from Tunisia where he attended the Confederation of African Football (CAF) congress. He leaves again at the weekend for Mexico for the Olympic qualifiers. He will be a guest at a reception of Her  Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in Buckingham Palace on March 1. Warner and other members of the FIFA executive committee will also meet with the English  FA Board on February  28, to be followed by a meeting of the executive committee a day later. Before leaving for London yesterday, St Clair said: “This is very good news for us. We have to keep playing regularly against top international teams to test our players.

“We also need to keep playing on the road as much as possible in different countries and different conditions,” he continued. “The more we play, the better the team will become. It is going to be a very tough campaign and  we need to train and compete in situations that demands toughness.” St Clair will spend one week in England meeting with overseas-based professionals as well as English FA officials. Upon his return home, he will prepare a squad for a trip to Bermuda and then a clash against  a Brazil All-Star team at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in mid-February.