Outcoached Najjar gives up

TECHNICAL director and national football coach Hannibal Najjar has quit  after Trinidad and Tobago failed to gain automatic qualification to the CONCACAF Gold Cup on Sunday.

And because the next stage of the CONCACAF Gold Cup playoffs is scheduled for April 23-27 in Martinique, the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation appointed an interim technical staff to continue preparing the team, but for this series only. FIFA instructor and ex-national coach Alvin Corneal is the interim technical adviser with Yugoslav Zoran Vranes as coach and national women’s coach Jamaal Shabaaz will be his assistant. Following Trinidad and Tobago’s 3-1 defeat by Cuba on Sunday at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella, Najjar admitted he was out-coached.

Prior to the qualifiers, Najjar asked for and had at his disposal 10 overseas-based professionals — Stern John, Brent Rahim, Carlos Edwards, Dennis Lawrence (England), Collin Samuel, Marvin Andrews (Scotland), Avery John (Ireland), Evans Wise (Germany), Dwayne Demmin, Craig Demmin (USA). These players arrived here three days before the competition, and Najjar claimed he did not have enough time to prepare the team. Najjar, who took over from ex-Strike Squad skipper Clayton Morris, admitted  some of the overseas pros did not play to expectations but blamed himself for the team’s failure overall.

Meanwhile, the TTFF have instituted a new technical department to be responsible for the preparation and performance of all national teams in the future.  Trinidad and Tobago are down to play Martinique first on April 23 and  Honduras next on April 25.   The hosts will face Honduras on April 27. Top two teams from this three-team series will advance to the Gold Cup finals in the United States and Mexico.