TTFA to unveil new coach today

Following a disappointing start to the final round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying, Stephen Hart was fired as head coach of the Trinidad and Tobago team on November 24 after holding the position for almost three and a half years. President of the TT Football Association David John-Williams explained that the poor results by the national team recently, including the World Cup qualifiers, led the Association with no choice but to relieve Hart of his duties.

TT have no points from their opening two matches in the final round of qualifying which features the top six teams in the region. TT lost their opening match to Costa Rica 2-0 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port-of-Spain, before travelling to Honduras where they went under 3-1. TT are currently in fifth position only ahead of the also winless USA. The top three teams will qualify automatically for the World Cup while the fourth place finisher will enter a playoff for a chance to compete at the 2018 Russia World Cup.

Many possible replacements have been thrown into the conversation over the past two weeks including W Connection coach Stuart Charles-Fevrier. Fevrier, a St Lucian, had a brief stint as the national coach when he led the team from May 2003 to January 2004. John-Williams is the former president of W Connection.

Someone who has openly stated his interest in the vacancy is English- born Terry Fenwick. Fenwick, who has been living and coaching in Trinidad for more than 15 years says he is the best person to get the job and believes a ‘foreign’ coach will not be appropriate at this late stage of World Cup qualification as time is short for a coach to get acquainted with the national team.

The new coach may come from anywhere in the world as a few days after Hart was fired, John-Williams revealed that they had 24 applications comprising local, regional and international coaches. The new coach will not have a long time to get acquainted with the team as World Cup qualifiers resume in March with matches versus Panama and Mexico.