Tuesday, March 25 2008

TRINIDAD and Tobago’s footballers arrived in Kingston just at about 2 pm yesterday for their friendly international against Jamaica at the National Stadium tomorrow night.

Team coach Francisco Maturana and captain Aurtis Whitley led the players in an evening training session at Tivoli Gardens and will have a final session at the match venue this evening for the match which is generating great interest.

Jamaican coach Rene Simoes told the local media that he was going all out in the encounter which over the years has been billed as one where bragging rights is a major priority.

The Jamaicans qualified for the 1998 World Cup and TT performed a similar feat in 2006. The last time these two teams met, Jamaica came away 2-1 winners in a Digicel Cup encounter in 2004.

Jamaica also won the two previous World Cup qualifying meetings 1-0 and 2-1. Simoes was at the helm of the TT team in the second encounter played at the Queen’s Park Oval.

While Jamaica have the majority of their top players available for the match, TT suffered a double-blow with the news that both England-based Kenwyne Jones and Carlos Edwards would not be joining the squad for the match.

Maturana said he was disappointed on not having Jones and Edwards available.

“It is sad that they will not be here because they are a very big part of the plans for the country just as they are for their club.

“We don’t get to have players every week like the clubs which is why it was important for them to be available for this game.

Player selection is all part of planning for international games,” Maturana said yesterday.

“But we hope they recover well and we will not let that hold us down. We have other players here and they will have to play their game and we will prepare for the game.”