Yorke’s mom:

“MY HEART weak; I have to go and lie down,” said Grace Yorke, as the Soca Warriors, led by her son Dwight, began to do battle with Sweden in this country’s historic debut at the World Cup in Germany.

Outside, on the gallery of the Yorkes’ family home in Canaan, Tobago, relatives and friends had gathered to take in the TT/Sweden clash on a large plasma TV set. Everything was in place for a traditional Tobago lime – a bubbling pot in the yard, an overflowing drinks table, plenty talk, music for the half-time and an after match party.

Among the large crowd was Dwight’s father, Fulton “Skipper” Yorke.

“Our chances are great; these boys have surprised me, they played well,” he said, at the end of the first half. “I feel we would win them. I believe we played all over them. I didn’t believe something like this would have happened here today!”

The cheers inside the Yorke house reached a crescendo whenever Shaka Hislop denied the Swedes. But when Avery John was sent off, reducing the Warriors to ten, the response was an overwhelming “Noooo!” The silence that followed was deafening but lasted only a short while. When the final whistle came, and the celebrations began. “We have won!” declared Dwight’s long-time neighbour Winston “Ban Baby” Skeete.

Mrs Yorke was now quite relaxed and smiling broadly. “It’s good. We draw, great!” she told Sunday Newsday, giving a two-handed thumbs up salute. The celebrations took over.