Nakhid appeals for support

TRINIDAD and Tobago football coach Bertille St Clair and members of the national team got a surprise visit from former captain David Nakhid at training at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo on Monday. Nakhid, now a coach and player with Al Mabarra in Lebanon, is back home for a few days visiting his ailing mother. He took time out to attend the session and immediately called for more support for the footballers who play St Kitts/Nevis on Saturday and Mexico at the Hasely Crawford Stadium next Wednesday in back to back 2006 semi-final round World Cup qualifiers. “It’s always nice to be around and see the national team train especially with the tough campaign ahead.  We have some good people involved in the effort and I wish them all the best,” Nakhid said.

“Away from the national scene I had been following the team and hopefully they can keep progressing. I wish them the best  and even though they may not possess the kind of quality of the past teams, from what I have heard,  I think they stand a really good chance and they just need to keep their spirits up and progress from there. The country needs to rally around the team,” Nakhid said. When quizzed as to if he would contribute in some way to TT football, the former Greece and Swiss-based professional replied: “I am always willing to make a contribution to Trinidad and Tobago’s football in any respect.” Nakhid, who also runs a coaching school in Greece, also commented on a recent lawsuit victory over former Lebanese club Al Ansar which illegally broke his contract two years ago.

He expressed gratitude to FIFA vice president Jack Warner for getting him through the ordeal. Al Ansar were found guilty on all counts and ordered to pay an undisclosed sum in damages and penalties as well as all expenses incurred by Nakhid “We had a lawsuit and thank God through Jack Warner’s help we were able to win. So I’m now just looking forward to getting my team ready for the season and turn them into a big a club as possible,” he said. “We were fighting basically against the Lebanese Government because the owner of the club is a member of it. Without a doubt the only person who could have pushed this through and won it for us was Jack Warner,” Nakhid said. “They broke the contract in an illegal way and they conspired with people in high places to just keep things under low and I was being left out in the cold. We won the appeal and even more after that all through Jack Warner,” Nakhid said.