PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad — Trinidad and Tobago football legend Stern John has called on the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) to retain Dwight Yorke as head coach of the national team — even if he fails to secure qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
T&T currently occupy third place in Group B of the Concacaf Qualifiers with five points, trailing leaders Jamaica (nine points) and second-placed Curaçao (eight points). Only the top sides from each group will book automatic berths for next year’s World Cup.
With two matches remaining — a must-win home clash against Jamaica on November 13 followed by their final outing against winless Bermuda five days later — the Soca Warriors’ qualification hopes hang in the balance.
John: “We can’t keep changing coaches”
Speaking on Isports on i95.5 FM, John — Trinidad and Tobago’s all-time leading scorer and the top marksman in Central American and Caribbean men’s international football with 70 goals — emphasized the importance of continuity and long-term planning in rebuilding the national program.
“Of course, of course they should [ask him to stay on], because we need stability,” John insisted. “We can’t just keep changing coaches every couple of months and sacking coaches. We need some kind of structure in our football again.”
John, who currently serves as head coach of Saint Lucia, urged the TTFA to give Yorke time to continue shaping the team’s identity, regardless of short-term results.
Yorke, a former Manchester United star and national icon, was appointed head coach in November 2024 with a clear mandate to lead Trinidad and Tobago back to the World Cup for the first time since their historic appearance in Germany 2006.
Belief in a home upset
Despite the pressure surrounding next week’s showdown, John expressed confidence that T&T could upset Jamaica and revive their qualifying campaign.
“We have to win,” he said firmly. “When you look back at World Cup Qualifiers, you have to make your house a fortress — you have to win your home games. Once you win your home games and pick up a couple points away, then you give yourself a good chance of qualifying. But you need to win the home games — it’s important.”
The upcoming fixture carries added emotional weight. Jamaica, recently struck by Hurricane Melissa, will be seeking to deliver a morale-boosting victory for their nation. John acknowledged the Reggae Boyz’s motivation but maintained that home advantage could tilt the balance.
“It’s not going to be an easy game, obviously,” he admitted. “Jamaica has a lot riding on this game too, because they want to go to the World Cup and they were just devastated by this hurricane, so they have a lot to play for — a lot to prove — and they’re playing with a whole country behind them. But I think that at home we can turn them around, so hopefully we can do that.”
A call for continuity and culture
John’s message comes amid broader calls within Caribbean football for greater patience and structural consistency at the national level. Frequent coaching changes, he argued, have disrupted progress and undermined the development of a cohesive footballing culture.
For John, keeping Yorke beyond the qualification campaign would send a powerful message — that Trinidad and Tobago are committed to rebuilding from the ground up rather than chasing short-term fixes.
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