Trinidad and Tobago’s Futsal Team to contest the Caribbean Football Union Qualifiers in Cuba this month has been finalized by Head Coach Clayton Morris.
The team includes several experienced players including goalkeeper Kevin Graham and Defence Force’s Jerwyn Balthazar, both members of the T&T team that captured the Caribbean title in 2008.
Morris who led the team to the regional title in 2008, spoke about the preparations leading up to the upcoming Championship, describing the team as a balanced one.
“Granted the short time to prepare for such a tournament we have accomplished a lot of fitness tactics but still have much more work to get back to the level that brought home the two previous CFU championships,” Morris told TTFA Media.
“What is notable is that the players have been showing a level of commitment and desire that makes up for all the shot falls which I mentioned. The final ten is made up half the squad whichwon the two titles and half first timers, added to which four are presently members of the TT Professional football league and two in the National Super League.
“The confidence in the camp is very high at the moment. Hopefully with fours days to kick off we will get more mental preparation by means of videos of games of the Concacaf teams we have to contest to gave them more knowledge of this entertaining excited sport and more importantly to qualify for the Concacaf finals later this year in Costa Rica,” Morris added.
T&T are in Group A alongside Antigua/Barbuda, Haiti and Guyana. T&T will play its opening game against Antigua on January 22nd, followed by Guyana (January 23rd) and Haiti on January 24th.
Group B includes St Marteen, Cuba, Guadeloupe and Jamaica.
The top two teams from the two groups will move onto the semi finals with the two finalists advancing to the CONCACAF Finals in Costa Rica in May.
The team is vying for qualification for the 2016 FIFA Futsal World Cup which will be staged in Colombia from September 10th to October 1st and will include twenty-four teams.
The CONCACAF Final round from which four team will qualify for the World Cup, will be held in Costa Rica in May.
T&T were last crowned Caribbean Futsal champions in 2008 when they defeated Haiti 6-3 at the then Concacaf Centre of Excellence in Macoya.
T&T 10-man Futsal Squad
(1) Kevin Graham GK
(2) Adrian Pirthysingh GK
(3) Ako James
(4) Jerwyn Balthazar
(5) Cyrano Glenn
(6) Kerry Joseph
(7) Colin Joseph
(8.) Jameel Neptune
(9) Anthony Small
(10) Bevon Bass
Standbys – Keston Guy (GK) and Kareem Perry.