Nakhid ‘link’ wanted tapes

These advances were in fact made early last week before the news broke that there was a link between ex-national captain and midfielder Nakhid and the Bahrain Football Association.

Trinidad and Tobago are due to play Bahrain in a teo-leg play-off on November 12 and 16 for a place in the World Cup Finals in Germany next year.

Nakhid’s link reportedly contacted TTFF Media for videotapes or DVDs of recent Trinidad and Tobago matches and from the earlier stages of the 2006 Journey to Germany campaign.

They were told that it was for use in producing a documentary on the team’s progress, a project Nakhid never discussed with anyone of the team management nor with the TTFF nor with the Local Organising Committee Germany 2006.

Sunity Maharaj, executive producer of local television show Total Football also revealed that she was approached by the same female acquaintance of Nakhid said the Football Federation yesterday.

"I was given a request by this person and was told that it was for the sake of a personal archive after enquiring why the tapes were being asked for. I then referred her to the TTFF because I am well aware that they hold the rights to these type of footage," Maharaj stated.

Another local reporter, Ruskin Mark of NCC TV Channel 4 also recalled receiving a similar request.

"Nakhid’s female acquaintance called and asked for the tapes or whatever footage that may assist her and I could only refer her to the TTFF following that request," Mark said.

Since the story broke, Nakhid, has been appointed as scout adviser of Bahrain’s national World Cup team.

The president of the General Organisation for Youth and Sports (Goys), Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, told the Bahrain Tribune that he has made a lucrative offer to Nakhid which he could not refuse.

Fawaz also made it clear to the Bahrain Football Association (BFA) that they have an open budget for their final campaign to World Cup 2006 and that they must do everything in their power to overcome Trinidad and Tobago at all costs.

The first leg of the play-off will be in Trinidad and Tobago and the second leg in Bahrain. When contacted in Zurich, Switzerland yesterday evening, FIFA vice president Jack Warner confirmed that the talk in Zurich is all about Nakhid’s actions for which he must hang his head. "For 30 pieces of silver, TT has been sold out. This makes what Jamaica has done look guiltless," Warner told TTFF Media.

He promised that in spite of all these unfortunate occurrences, that all will be in place to ensure that the Warriors are fully in tune for the matches on November 12 and 16 against the Asian qualifiers.

Warner will be in Bahrain today. He will be accompanied by General-Secretary of the TTFF, Richard Groden and team administrator, George Joseph.

Meanwhile Bahrain is playing a match against Panama in Bahrain on Thursday. The host has paid all Panama’s expenses including a match fee of some US$500,000 it has been reported.