Warner defends size of W/Cup delegation

Besides coach Leo Beenhakker and his assistant Whim Rijsbergen, the contingent who attended the function were Warner, TTFF president Oliver Camps and general-secretary Richard Groden, team managers Bruce Aanensen and George Joseph, press officer Shaun Fuentes, Director of the Tourism Development Company Dr James Hepple, Tobago House of Assembly member Tracy Davidson and Senator Roy Augustus.

During a press conference at the VIP Lounge, Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo on Tuesday, Warner emphasised the need for the TTFF to send a nine-member group to the event.

"FIFA say you have to bring your president, general secretary, coach, two assistant coaches, security officer, press officer, manager and they give you two guests," Warner declared.

"We invited the Minister of Sport (Roger Boynes), he couldn’t go. We invited Mr (Gerard) Ferreira (head of the Sport Company of Trinidad and Tobago), he couldn’t go. And those are the rules."

Regarding the TT delegates at Leipzig, Warner noted that, on Saturday, they "had to attend two FIFA sessions (where they were told) about the associations, how they must conduct themselves, the dos and don’ts involved, what (they must do) in terms of hospitality, in terms of accommodation, for three hours."

Insisting that members of the 32 participating countries had to attend, Warner raised the point that "when they call the countries, we must say "Trinidad and Tobago president, absent; secretary, absent, so and so, Jack Warner".

"I must go and represent them? Me?," he asked. "That’s what people want."

While FIFA has mandated that only March 1 will be set aside for international friendlies (when clubs must release requested players), Warner also plans to consider organising matches for the local-based players to further impress coach Leo Beenhakker.

"That would be ideal but it depends on funding and it depends on what the coach sees," said Warner. "At this point in time, you can’t train anybody to become a good player. It’s either you’re good or you’re not good.

"And all he needs now is to teach them certain systems of play and so on," added the TTFF special advisor. "So if he sees a player who, he believes, can do that, yes. But this period is not to train players."

The CONCACAF and CFU president pointed out that persons like Aston Villa defender Jlloyd Samuel and West Ham striker Bobby Zamora, who declined invitations to play for Trinidad and Tobago but are now willing to represent the team, should be considered for selection.

"We can’t be so petty to exclude those players who, for some reason or another, did not accept the call when the call came," he admitted. "We’re not a big country. We don’t have that amount of top players to afford to do that.

Warner continued, "if it’s Brazil or the US, you can do that. But we don’t have those top players. And we can’t be petty and bypass or marginalise any player who can make a contribution to the team. I wouldn’t allow it."