Defence Force goalkeeper Christopher Biggette, 27, is the lone un-capped player named in a 40-man provisional squad by Soca Warriors coach Angus Eve for their opening match of the upcoming 2023/2024 CONCACAF Nations League which kicks off on September 7 against Curacao at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo.
The Soca Warriors have been drawn in League A Group A with Curacao, El Salvador, Panama, Martinique, and Guatemala while Group B comprises Haiti, Jamaica, Honduras, Cuba, Suriname, and Grenada.
However, the Soca Warriors will only contest four matches in their pool based on the competition’s format with their opening fixture before travelling to El Salvador four days later.
T&T will then host Guatemala on October 13, and then play away to Curacao on October 17 to end their group campaign, after which the first and second-place finishers will advance to the CNL quarterfinals, where they will join the four top-ranked League A national teams.
The quarterfinal round will be played in a home-and-away format in the FIFA Match Window of November 2023, with the aggregate score winners in each quarterfinal matchup advancing to the 2024 CNL Finals and qualifying for the 2024 Conmebol Copa America.
The four seeded nations in the quarterfinals are (in alphabetical order): Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico, and the USA.
The pairing for the quarterfinals will be determined based on the Concacaf Rankings of October 2023 (after the FIFA Window) and the 2023/24 CNL Group Stage results.
Along with Biggette, a former Jabloteh goalkeeper before making the switch to Defence Force whom he helped to the T&T Premier Football League and Knockout titles, Eve also recalled locally-based midfielders Tyrone Charles, Duane Muckette and Michael Poon-Angeron, all of AC Port-of-Spain, Tiger Tanks Club Sando striker Nathaniel James, the Defence Force trio of Reon Moore, Justin Garcia and Justin Sadoo as well as Ross Russell Jr of Terminix La Horquetta Rangers, and USA-based Jesse Williams.
The other locally based named in the 40-man squad include goalkeepers Marvin Phillip (AC PoS), and Denzil Smith (Club Sando), Joevin Jones (Police FC), Real Gill (Club Sando), and Alvin Jones (Club Sando), who were all part of the 23-men Concacaf Gold Cup squad.
Among the other notable players shortlisted are Sheldon Bateau (SK Beveren/Belgium), Kevin Molino of US Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew, AEK Athens’ Levi Garcia, who is nursing a groin injury, Leland Archer (Charleston Battery/USA), Nicklas Frenderup (Ranheim/Norway), Aubrey David (Alajuelense/Costa Rica), Ryan Telfer (Miami FC/USA), Tristan Hodge (Hartford Athletic/USA), Molik Khan (Minnesota United/USA), Neveal Hackshaw (Oakland Roots/USA), Ajani Fortune (Atlanta United/USA), and Andre Rampersad (HFX Wanderers/Canada) all members of the Gold Cup contingent while Canada-born midfielder Kristian Lee Him of IFK Eskilstuna, Daniel Phillips (St Johnstone), Jomal Williams (Once Deportivo), Canada-born striker Malcolm Shaw, and USA-based nippy winger Kaile Auvray.
At the Gold Cup, T&T ended with a 2-1 win-loss record in Group A after beating St Kitts/Nevis 3-0 before suffering heavy defeats against Jamaica 4-1, and then 6-0 versus the USA.
Following the squad of the squad Eve said he is always optimistic going into whatever tournament the team has and this will provide another opportunity for the team to come together.
With regards to his team’s chances of qualifying for the Copa America, Eve admitted that it will be a difficult task but at the same time, it will give the players the chance to improve their positioning in terms of enhance their chances of World Cup qualification.
Since being appointed in September 2021 when he replaced Englishman Terry Fenwich, Eve, 51, has enjoyed a record of 12 wins, nine draws, and seven defeats, and among his major wins, were a 9-0 triumph over Barbados and a 1-0 triumph away to Jamaica earlier this year in Jamaica, while his team also played to a 0-0 draw with Jamaica in March and with powerhouse Mexico to open their 2021 Gold Cup campaign.
Eve’s contract is expected to come up for review just ahead of the start of the 32-team Concacaf qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup in March 2024 as part of a competition in which teams will play up to 12 matches to reach the tournament.
T&T 40-man Concacaf Nations League provisional squad:
Goalkeepers:
Christopher Biggette (Defence Force), Nicklas Frenderup (Ranheim IL—Norway), Marvin Phillip (AC Port of Spain), Denzil Smith (W Connection);
Defenders:
Leland Archer (Charleston Battery—USA), Sheldon Bateau (SK Beveren—Belgium), Aubrey David (SD Aucas—Ecuador), Justin Garcia (Defence Force), Shannon Gomez (San Antonio FC—USA), Triston Hodge (Hartford Athletic—USA), Alvin Jones, Josiah Trimmingham (both Club Sando), Joevin Jones (Police FC), Kareem Moses (FF Jaro—Finland), Andre Raymond (Dumiense CJP—Portugal), Ross Russell Jr (TLH Rangers), Luke Singh (Atletico Ottawa—Canada), Jesse Williams (Central Valley Fuego—USA);
Midfielders:
Michel-Poon Angeron, Duane Muckette (both AC Port of Spain), Ajani Fortune (Atlanta United—USA), Neveal Hackshaw (Oakland Roots SC—USA), Molik Khan (Minnesota United 2—USA), Kristian Lee Him (IFK Eskilstuna—Sweden), Daniel Phillips (St Johnstone—Scotland), Noah Powder (Northern Colorado Hailstorm—USA), Andre Rampersad (HFX Wanderers—Canada), Justin Sadoo (Defence Force);
Forwards:
Kaïlé Auvray (Sporting KC Academy—USA), Tyrone Charles (AC Port of Spain), Judah Garcia (AEK Athens B—Greece), Levi Garcia (AEK Athens FC—Greece), Kadeem Corbin, Real Gill, Nathaniel James (all Club Sando), Kevin Molino (Columbus Crew—USA), Reon Moore (Defence Force), Malcolm Shaw (Atletico Ottawa—Canada), Ryan Telfer (Miami FC—USA), Jomal Williams (Once Deportivo—El Salvador).