Spann gives TT 1-0 victory

JOHANNESBURG: Vibe CT 105 W Connection midfielder Silvio Spann scored in the 43rd minute to give Trinidad and Tobago’s footballers a 1-0 victory over Soweto Panthers in a closed-doors training match at the FNB Stadium yesterday.

Spann’s goal came after TT squandered at least eight clear-cut scoring opportunities in the first half at the venue which is home for the South African national team and is rated as one of their leading venues in their bid to host the 2010 World Cup. TT Coach Stuart Charles-Fevrier  expressed concern with their inability to put away more chances but was pleased with the progress made in other areas of the team’s game. The Panthers had the first look on goal on eight minutes when striker Surprise Mopati forced goalkeeper Jan Michael Williams in action. But once the opening ten minutes elapsed, it was all one-way traffic for TT. Spann was the guilty one on goal before eventually making up for his missed just before the break. TT used the long widths of the field well with Carlos Edwards doing most of the running on the right flank and finishing with some pinpoint crosses. TT went closest to breaking the deadlock when Brent Sancho met  a loose ball after Edwards’ free kick was cleared, and Spann made the final collection  before seeing his righ-footed drive crash off the upright. The goal TT had long been searching for finally came when Spann played Edwards free on the right and he crossed to Pierre who passed for an unmarked Spann to clinically shoot low into the left corner of the goal.

Coach Charles-Fevrier made a few changes as the half went along and TT dropped gears and the Panthers were allowed to see more of Williams’ goal. The St Anthony’s College custodian had to save Lazarus Motsoapong’s header in the 49th minute and then kept out a point blank effort from Mopati in the 66th. His finest save of the match came in the 75th minute when he made a one-handed save to keep out Mopati’s close-range header following a right-side cross. Charles-Fevrier made it no secret that he felt TT still was not consistent in their play as the team prepares for Tuesday’s friendly international against Botswana followed by a clash with South Africa on June 14 in Port Elizabeth. “We had our final session here before the Botswana match and I was quite pleased with aspects of our play but we are still not yet consistent enough for 90 minutes. “We played a brilliant 45 minutes and after I made the changes, I found that the quality of our game dropped. “I’ll more like to believe that our consistency at the moment is lacking. There may be a gap between our starters and those coming off the bench. I think all the players are quality players so now I have to work on getting us to play consistently for the full match,” Fevrier said.

Later on, the TT bus attracted much attention from curious onlookers as it drove through Soweto, visiting the present homes of Winnie Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and the former home of Nelson Mandela. The TT contingent also visited the Apartheid Museum in Soweto which gave an unbiased and historically accurate account of modern 20th century South Africa. The contingent were then guests of the South African Football Association at the home-side’s 2004 Olympic qualifier against Kenya which ended 2-0 in favour of the hosts in Soweto. There too, skipper Reynold Carrington and company attracted attention in their red, white and black attire. TT  leave for Botswana by bus today.

TT line up: Jan Michael Williams, Brent Sancho, Reynold Carrington, Keyeno Thomas (Avery John, 46th), Dale Saunders (Anton Pierre 68th), Travis Mulraine (Conrad Smith, 72nd), Hector Sam (Colin Samuel, 56th), Nigel Pierre (Jason Scotland, 74th) Nigel Daniel, Silvio Spann (Kerwyn Jemmot, 46th), Carlos Edwards.