Jack not giving up on W/Cup dream

Trinidad and Tobago’s senior footballers could look forward to returning to the African continent in November. This for a friendly international with former World Cup finalists Egypt. Making this revelation was FIFA Vice President Jack Warner on Friday as he journeyed home with the TT contingent following their 2-0 defeat to Morocco last Wednesday. Warner indicated that he will continue to arrange matches for the TT footballers as they prepare for the 2006 World Cup qualifiers. He said he was not too worried about the team following their defeat to Morocco. “I don’t think that we had to play Morocco to see how far we are in terms of our preparation, skill and tactics. We are aware that we are short of this and hence, the reason for us playing such a match is to look at players to get the best team together and to find the best system of play. We have to understand that we will get heavy defeats and even get embarrassed sometimes because we are still trying things until of course we get the optimum system for the country,” Warner said.

“I am not too uneasy because I know what the coach is trying to do and he just has to educate the public as to what his intentions are so they too will understand what is going on. Every match is not meant to be a victory. Every match for me up until the end of this year is meant to be a learning experience,” Warner added. He also commended the hosts on their showing as they bid to host the 2010 World Cup. “I want to make the point that Morocco’s organisation is absolutely super and if they continue to perfect upon this they will have a good chance for the World Cup,” Warner said. Previously a match against Costa Rica’s senior team was planned for October 8 in New York but this is now off as the Central Americans have informed the TTFF that they will be unable to get a connecting flight to Johannesburg in time around the said date. The Ticos will be facing South Africa in a friendly next month.

Warner added that the Costa Rican Under-23 team will face TT’s Under-23s and the senior team will come up against Brazil’s Under-20 team which is preparing for the World Youth Championship. These matches are carded for around October 12. Confirmation is expected soon on another international against United Arab Emirates for the senior team in November. A match against Northern Ireland is also on the books for next May while a two-match tour of Argentina is being eyed for next July. “These are opportunities for us to play against teams of different styles. It is a whole new approach as we had Kenya, Botswana, South Africa, Venezuela, Morocco and now you have teams like Brazil. Who wants to give negative responses can go ahead because this is typical of Trinidad and Tobago; they always tend to do damage rather than try to construct something positive. I always smile because I know that anything different from that in my country will be strange,” said Warner. “We have to therefore work within these constraints but remain focused and keep our vision. I will not be able to carry on this solely for long and some help must come and if this does not come and I cannot continue. “Well, then we will stop until of course help does come. But to me, the dream is still alive,” said Warner.