IT is going to take a million dollars a year to prepare one Trinidad and Tobago football team for them to successfully vie for a spot at a FIFA Youth World Cup.
This is the word coming from Anton Corneal, technical director of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA).
Corneal also revealed that the TTFA has sent in paperwork trying to access a talent development scheme that world governing body FIFA affords every member association to run a proper programme for four years. However, Corneal cautioned that much more than just FIFA funding is needed and that Government and corporate sponsors have to be involved if T&T are to have any impact.
“Off the top of my head, I would like to think (it) probably cost one million TT dollars a year to be able to have one of these teams training,” he said in a TTFA interview.
A former national women’s and youth team head coach, Corneal is encouraged by the first step taken by the boy’s national team at the recent CONCACAF Under-15 championship. But he said that is just a first step and those players needed to be further developed.
“This group will move towards the new (Under) 17 national team,” stated Corneal, who added that a new Under-13 group will replace those players announced in the High Performance (Under-15) programme. Trained by Shawn Cooper and assistant Densill Theobald, the Under-15s failed to advance out of their group at the 2023 CONCACAF Championship, following slender 2-1 losses to Honduras and Puerto Rico, but improved as the tournament wore on and ended with wins over Costa Rica (2-0) and Qatar (3-0). For the graduating Under-15 class, it means more and harder work.
“We have to go back to the drawing board and make sure these players get the appropriate work that’s necessary now,” the technical director noted. “It’s going to take administrative support and take financial support and of course continued exposure for these young players.”
Corneal knows the tried and tested process well, having as a coach taken over an Under-15 squad from Ken Eli and qualified the group for both the 2007 FIFA Under-17 and 2009 Under-20 World Cup. That team included Kevin Molino, Aubrey David, Robert Primus, Sheldon Bateau, Daneil Cyrus, Leston Paul, Marcus Joseph, Glenroy Samuel, Sean De Silva and the deceased Akeem Adams, who all went on to play for the senior men’s national side. Corneal said that the development path will follow a similar course now.
He also revealed there may be a need for a readjustment of the current High Performance development programme, given FIFA’s intention to change and have a youth World Cup every year from 2025.
“It’s going to be a big cost, because it means every year you have to prepare a team,” Corneal said. “It’s a great opportunity because the chances are double, to actually play in a youth World Cup every year.”
In addition to the current Under-15s, Corneal said the national Under-17 team will be boosted by talent unearthed in the Secondary Schools Football League.
“I think in December, after the Secondary Schools Football League, we will be in a better position where we will screen players,” he said.
SOURCE: T&T Express