Head coach Dwight Yorke has drawn a firm line in the sand as Trinidad and Tobago prepare for the decisive final round of Concacaf World Cup qualifiers.
Naming his 26-man squad for the September 5 opener against Curacao at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Yorke insisted that every selection was earned, not gifted.
“There is no curry favours, there is no pat on the back,” Yorke declared. “You’ve got to earn the right to be in this squad. Whether young or senior player, you can’t take anything for granted. We don’t have the luxury to entertain that in our sport. We’re here for business.”
Youthful energy with a point to prove
The squad balances promise and experience, with uncapped players Kobi Henry (Real Salt Lake, 21) and Jerrin Jackie (Portugal, 24) receiving call-ups alongside Justin Obikwu of Lincoln City, who has two caps to his name. Dutch-based defender Deron Payne and veteran Alvin Jones miss out through injury.
T&T’s attacking spark will again come from star forward Levi Garcia, now based in Russia, supported by a wave of young Major League Soccer talent including Dante Sealy and Tyrese Spicer. Former MLS No. 2 draft pick Wayne Frederick II and Canada-based midfielder Steffen Yeates also make the cut.
Must-win at home
Yorke, a Manchester United legend now guiding his country’s World Cup campaign, left no doubt about the importance of the Curacao clash.
“The home games are the most important games,” he stressed. “When we play Curacao at home, we want to win. That would be our approach, our mindset. It’s by no means going to be a walk in the park—every game is really difficult for us.”
T&T’s path sees them open against Curacao in Port of Spain before traveling to Kingston to face Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz on September 9. The Soca Warriors will then remain on the road against Bermuda (October 10) and Curacao (October 14), before hosting Jamaica in their final qualifier on November 13.
Learning from painful lessons
Yorke acknowledged that his team has come a long way since a bruising 5-0 defeat to the United States in the Gold Cup earlier this year, a performance that drew criticism for its sluggish start.
“Traditionally, we always tend to start very slow. I call it a reactive rather than a proactive team,” Yorke admitted. “Certainly, at home, we’ve been a lot more proactive under my reign. That tells me that we’re starting much better on the front rather than on the back. It’s something we’ve wanted to improve over the last 10 months, and we will see that in the game on Friday.”
Eyes on World Cup qualification
The coach was also asked about the absence of striker Reon Moore, T&T’s top scorer in the last four years, now playing in Vietnam. Yorke insisted the door remains open but emphasized his focus on players in current form.
“They’ve got to go back and prove me wrong,” he said. “But for now, I have to be focused on these players. I’ve got to focus on the players that are called up based on their current performance—not on something that happened four years ago. We need players to perform on Friday.”
For Yorke, the mission is clear: win Group B and secure direct qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. And it begins with three points on home soil.
“I’m very confident that my players, come Friday night, we’ll be ready to perform at the highest level,” he said, adding that he expects a packed Hasely Crawford Stadium to drive the team forward. “Excitement is in the air for T&T football.”
