The Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (T&TFF) is not concerned about reports coming out of Barbados that the host team is considering protest action for alleged ineligible players in the T&T squad during last week's Digicel Caribbean Cup.
The Federation insists it has followed all the rules.
According to a report in the Barbados Saturday Sun newspaper yesterday, Barbados team officials lodged a complaint following Trinidad and Tobago's 3-2 win in their final round Digicel Cup match last Thursday in Bridgetown.
T&T secured third place and the final berth in the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup with the triumph.
The main point of contention, the Barbados report claimed, was that the T&T team "flew in two new players from outside their original 18-member squad, and played both to boost their team's chances of beating Barbados in the all-important battle for third place".
The players were defenders Nigel Henry and Dwayne Jack, who both started in Thursday's crucial match, replacing injured players Marlon Rojas and Cyd Gray, respectively.
Barbados' coach Mark Doherty asked that Trinidad and Tobago pay the penalty if they are found to be in breach of the tournament rules.
"So if the rules are stretched or bent for Trinidad, then it doesn't go well for the CFU (Caribbean Football Union) and it doesn't go well for Caribbean football. But I am sure that the tournament, the way it has been run and the professional manner that it has been approached, if any rule has been breached, then the proper thing will be done," Doherty told the Saturday Sun.
But T&TFF media officer Shaun Fuentes told the Sunday Express yesterday that the accusations were unfounded.
He explained that the tournament rules permitted them to change their original 18-man squad named for the Cup.
"We got Mario John, a Trinidadian doctor based in Barbados, to writer a letter declaring our four players unfit and we advised the Barbados and tournament officials they would be replaced," said Fuentes. "And we are allowed to have them as late replacements. So, no, it is not a concern for us."
But the Saturday Sun article said a high-ranking official of the Barbados Football Association (BFA) said the only approved replacement was for striker Nigel Pierre.
"However, he was subsequently informed prior to the match that two new players were coming in and that it was no longer Pierre who was being replaced." the report said.
There was also a query about veteran T&T midfielder David Nakhid's inclusion for Thursday's match after Doherty said he had seen the player marked ineligible on the team list.
However, Nakhid, who was initially banned for verbal abuse of a referee, had his suspension subsequently dropped and he was fined US$2,000 and allowed to suit up.