TT coach denies saying Cyrus smelt of alcohol

Saintfeit sent home Cyrus and Jomal Williams from training camp at the Cara Suites Hotel in Claxton Bay on Sunday, after the pair arrived 90 minutes late on New Year’s Day. In an interview with the media at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in which he revealed his squad for the Gold Cup qualifiers later that day, Saintfeit stated, “We selected 20 players, I have to say that three of the 20 players didn’t show up. Two players (Williams and Cyrus) came one and a half hours too late in camp and had still a decent smell of alcohol around them. That was Daneil Cyrus and Jomal Williams. Both were immediately sent home, back to party.” In an attempt to clear up the situation after Cyrus vehemently denied drinking alcohol, Saintfeit said he did not say Cyrus smelt of alcohol. In an interview with online sports website Wired868.com Saintfeit explained, “I never said Daneil smelt of alcohol. I said I smelt alcohol. I stood next to them and said I smelt alcohol. For me, the real issue was the late coming.” The players allegedly reached late because of a flat tyre but Saintfeit said if Cyrus had called before their noon check-in, he may have allowed him to enter camp.

Cyrus said he could not remember exactly when he called his teammate to tell him he had a flat tyre and was running late but he believed it was before noon.

Saintfeit told Wired868, Cyrus called around 12.30 pm and did not use the proper protocol as Cyrus called one of his teammates who passed the phone to the team manager. “Daneil called at 12.31(pm),” said Saintfiet, “and, even then, he did not call one of us.

He called a player who came to the manager and said I have Cyrus on the phone. And he said he would be 15 minutes (late) and he came an hour later.” Saintfeit cited striker Cornell Glen’s situation to explain his stance. “(Glen) calls at 11 (am) and said he had no babysitter. (Team manager) Azaad (Khan) called me and said: ‘What do we do?’ And I said let him come, bring the baby girl with (him) and let them come and pick (her) up afterwards. I am there to solve problems and Cornell Glen was the first one in camp (on New Year’s Day). The baby girl was there for a few hours, (then) they picked her up. No problem.

Because we trained only in the evening.

“If you have a problem, call. But you have to call before 12 o’clock.

Otherwise who proves you did not leave home before 12 o’clock?”