PANAMA'S newly-installed Brazilian-born head coach Alexandre Guimaraes has arranged a friendly international match against Trinidad and Tobago's Soca Warriors in preparation for upcoming CONCACAF Gold Cup qualifiers against Honduras and Costa Rica.
T&T will meet Panama Wednesday January 31 in the first of a two-match tour of Central America by the Soca Warriors.
A day after playing Panama, Trinidad and Tobago's footballers leave for Costa Rica for a meeting with their national team on February 4 in the mountainous Alajuela district.
Panama are coached by Guimaraes, who took Costa Rica to the 2006 World Cup but resigned after their poor showing as they lost to hosts Germany, Poland and Ecuador.
When Guimaraes took over midway through Costa Rica's World Cup qualifying campaign they were struggling but went on to lose just once in 11 matches. Since moving to Panama, Guimaraes has led them to a 1-1 draw with Armenia on January 14.
Panama will be fielding their best team against T&T, since they have Gold Cup qualifiers against Honduras on February 11 and Costa Rica on February 13.
Wim Rijsbergen, Trinidad and Tobago's head coach, had originally hoped to play Panama on February 7, which is an offical FIFA date for international matches. However, Panama thought the game was too close to their Honduras match, to be played four days later.
Previously, Rijsbergen said these games represent a step up in class and are being used to see which of his players are capable of playing at a higher international level, as he builds a team for the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup and 2010 World Cup qualifiers.
Rijsbergen will be using much of the squad playing in tonight's Digicel Caribbean Cup Final and possibly some of the Jabloteh and W Connection players, who may be involved in the Caribbean Club Championship semi-finals and final which take place in Trinidad on Friday and Sunday.
The Warriors leave for Panama a day after that club final.