This country’s senior footballers will have the chance to come up against South Africa’ senior team once they progress to the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup finals.
South Africa will join Canada, Mexico and the United States, along with three qualifying nations from the Caribbean and four countries advancing from Central America, in CONCACAF’s showpiece event to take place in the United States from July 6-24 2005. A second guest team, to be announced, will complete the field of twelve competing nations.
Warner who leaves on the weekend for the Women’s World Youth championship in Thailand, extended the invitation to African Football Association (SAFA) President, Molephi Oliphant.
“For many years now the CONCACAF Gold Cup has attracted high standard guest teams that have only enhanced the quality of our showpiece event and the 2005 edition will be no different. We are honored that South Africa will be joining us in 2005 and look forward with great anticipation to what promises to be the finest Gold Cup ever,” Warner said.
T&T meantime will begin their first step to the finals by competing in the Digicel Cup prelims here from November 24-28 against Grenada, Surinam and Puerto Rico. The top two teams from this group will progress to the next Caribbean zone round from which the winners will make it through to the Gold Cup.
National coach Bertille St Clair has called a squad for training ahead of next week’s Digicel Cup. Mostly local-based pros will be in the team with the likes of American-based trio Avery John and Cornell Glen, Leslie Fitzpatrick along with Scottish-based midfielder Brent Rahim and Lebanon-based striker Errol McFarlane among the overseas-based pros in the side. The first session takes place from 3pm on Friday at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.
”We have to ensure that the team is a well balanced one because qualifying for the Gold Cup is a must,” St Clair told TTFF Media. “Even though we will be without most of the overseas guys, I think we have players here who can do well enough to see us through and it’s a chance for some of the guys who have been knocking on the door to now step in. This is also part of our World Cup preparations.”
Squad For Training:
Goalkeepers:
Daurance Williams (San Juan Jabloteh/TRI), Jan-Michael Williams (W Connection/TRI), Kevin Graham (Joe Public/TRI).
Defenders:
Avery John (New England Revolution/USA), Anton Pierre (Defence Force/TRI), Atiba Charles (W Connection/TRI), Cyd Gray (San Juan Jabloteh/TRI), Derek King (Joe Public/TRI), Keyeno Thomas (San Juan Jabloteh/TRI), Marlon Rojas (Joe Public/TRI).
Midfielders:
Angus Eve (San Juan Jabloteh/TRI), Aurtis Whitley (San Juan Jabloteh/TRI), Brent Rahim (Falkirk/SCO), Conrad Smith (Arima Morvant Fire/TRI), Denzil Theobald (Arima Morvant Fire/TRI), Kerry Baptiste (San Juan Jabloteh/TRI), Leslie Fitzpatrick (Atlanta Silverbacks/USA), Lyndon Andrews (Starworld Strikers/TRI), Michael Celestine (San Juan Jabloteh/TRI), Silvio Spann (W Connection/TRI).
Forwards:
Cornell Glen (MetroStars/USA), Errol McFarlane (Al Nejmeh/LIB), Jerren Nixon (North East Stars/TRI), Odelle Armstrong (Defence Force/TRI).