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Sports => Football => Topic started by: SWF Reporter on February 04, 2013, 07:31:42 PM

Title: Caledonia duo moves to Kazakhstan while five more consider Finnish deals
Post by: SWF Reporter on February 04, 2013, 07:31:42 PM
Caledonia duo leads European exodus with Kazakhstan move
By Lasana Liburd (Wired868.com)


Twenty-five-year-old former Trinidad and Tobago national under-20 captain Radanfah Abu Bakr and 28-year-old Guyana international left wing back Walter Moore can make their competitive debuts in the Kazakhstan Premier League on Friday after agreeing terms with newly promoted team FC Vostok.

The move is expected to be the first of many by Neal & Massy Caledonia AIA football players to Eastern Europe and Finland as the Caribbean champion aims to become recognised as a selling club.

“Caledonia is in a situation now where we can start to look more closely at graduating into the business of football,” said Caledonia manager Ricarda Nelson. “We are creating a set-up now where a 10-year-old kid can see a progress line all the way to the top and aspire to follow the likes of Radanfah and so on.”

The club’s foray into Europe has been facilitated through a partnership with Finland-based agency, Goal Management Group, which is spearheaded by licensed FIFA agent and chief operating officer, Marko Saranlinna, and includes Dutch coach Theo de Jong.

De Jong is a former Holland 1974 World Cup star and was assistant coach to Leo Beenhakker when the “Soca Warriors” qualified for the 2006 World Cup. He was responsible for tactically preparing the Goal Management players at a one-week camp in Turkey, last month, before they played exhibition matches and went on to attend trials.

Caledonia AIA founder and national senior team joint head coach, Jamaal Shabazz, visited the players in Europe and, although he vowed to distance himself from the technical side of the club last December, he expressed pride in recent developments by the “Eastern Stallions.”

“I think the chickens are coming home to roost for the work that people have put into the organisation for the last 34 years,” said Shabazz. “The club is trying to go a step further than producing national players by producing players for the international market as well.

“Last year under Hutson Charles and before my involvement in the national set-up, there were six Caledonia players called up for national training and there were five players in the squad for the Caribbean finals… I see this arrangement (with Goal Management) as an important continuation of that progress.”

Apart from Moore and Abu Bakr, other Caledonia players Densill Theobald, 30, Ataullah Guerra, 25, Nuru Muhammad, 23 adn the 19-year-old Guyanese pair of Trayon Bobb and Daniel Wilson have also been offer deals. Attackers Jamal Gay and Cornelius Stewart, both 23-years-old, are also undergoing trials in Europe.

Theobald and Guerra, who are both expected to start for Trinidad and Tobago against Peru on Wednesday night, should decide soon on proposals from newly promoted Finland Premier League team Rovaniemen Palloseura, otherwise known as RoPS.

RoPS was relegated from the Finnish top flight in 2011 after being embroiled in a scandal that saw nine of their players—seven of whom were from Zambian—convicted of match fixing.

The club will aim to re-establish its reputation with some help from Theobald and Guerra who could join a roster that includes El Salvador international midfielder Victor Turcios and a trio of Nigerian players.

British newspaper, The Sun, declared RoPS as the coldest club in Europe in a recent feature article with temperatures understood to have dropped to as low as minus-18 degrees Celsius.

At present, talented 20-year-old DIRECTV W Connection attacker Shahdon Winchester is on loan at Finland Premier League club FF Jaro and scored on his competitive debut in a Cup match on Saturday.

Bobb, Muhammad and Wilson were propositioned by a more modest outfit in the Finland Third Division.

The teenaged Bobb is a senior Guyana international player who can operate on the left flank or upfront while Wilson is an attacking midfielder who was due to link up with Caledonia this year but might move straight to Europe instead. Muhammad is the Caledonia vice-captain and a former national youth defender.

Nelson defended their decision to send the trio, who are on three-year contracts, on loan to the Finnish lower league and suggested that it should be viewed as an opportunity to acclimatise to European conditions.

“The third division club actually acts as a feeder team for a Premier League club there,” said Nelson, a former Trinidad and Tobago women’s senior team captain. “We think it is a start to get the younger players in the door. They will be training at good facilities there and hopefully they will dominate the league and move on.”

Stewart,  a speedy St Vincent and the Grenadines international, belatedly joined the Goal Management team in Finland while national forward Gay, who is managed locally by Dion Sosa, is on trial at KV Mechelen in the Belgium top flight in a move orchestrated by a separate agent.

Mechelen already employs Gay’s former World Youth Cup teammate Sheldon Bateau, who is in the Warriors squad to face Peru on Wednesday. Another national player, Khaleem Hyland, also plays in Belgium with Racing Genk.

In Kazakhstan, Abu Bakr will not have long to wait before he sees a familiar face. Twenty-two-year-old Trinidad and Tobago defender Robert Primus and his Aktobe outfit travel to Vostok hosts Aktobe for its season opener on Friday.

Primus played alongside Bateau and Gay at the Egypt 2009 Under-20 World Cup and is a former San Juan Jabloteh player.

Nelson hopes that Caledonia’s fledgling partnership with Goal Management helps strengthen the club as a social and sporting organisation in Morvant/Laventille and brings it closer with the business model of pioneers, W Connection.

“De Jong will come to Trinidad for a month to help with our youth program in Morvant/Laventille at their expense,” she said. “We are also arranging to send (head coach) Jerry (Moe) and our future coaches like Abdallah Phillips and Stephan David for stints in Europe too. And there is an opening for them to provide technical expertise and equipment at reduced costs…

“Right now, there is a heavy (financial) dependence (in the Pro League) on the government and private sector. It is important we follow the footsteps of W Connection who was able to get a player like Kenwyne Jones out and benefit financially.”

Shabazz believes that Caledonia’s maturity as a club can only benefit Morvant/Laventille.

“I think it is a very exciting moment for Caledonia and I am very happy for them,” said Shabazz. “Despite my representation on the national team at the moment, I am Caledonia for life and my commitment to the Morvant/Laventille community will always be there ‘til death do us part.”

Title: Re: Caledonia duo moves to Kazakhstan while five more consider Finnish deals
Post by: AB.Trini on February 04, 2013, 07:57:41 PM
And some people thought that a present national coach was meeting with De jong to learn about football tactics; steups was to sell players to the highest bidders.........

lawd who benefits? hope the players if anything can be better for all this.
Title: Re: Caledonia duo moves to Kazakhstan while five more consider Finnish deals
Post by: asylumseeker on February 04, 2013, 08:15:04 PM
Radanfah, Kazakhstan=good place fuh finding a wife.
Title: Re: Caledonia duo moves to Kazakhstan while five more consider Finnish deals
Post by: Football supporter on February 04, 2013, 08:54:57 PM
And some people thought that a present national coach was meeting with De jong to learn about football tactics; steups was to sell players to the highest bidders.........

lawd who benefits? hope the players if anything can be better for all this.

Interesting question.

Title: Re: Caledonia duo moves to Kazakhstan while five more consider Finnish deals
Post by: Dynamite Warrior on February 04, 2013, 09:13:43 PM
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/video/sport/football/4751803/Meet-the-coldest-football-club-in-the-world.html
Title: Re: Caledonia duo moves to Kazakhstan while five more consider Finnish deals
Post by: theworm2345 on February 04, 2013, 09:17:27 PM
Good for them, Abu Bakr has had the chance to play in Europe already, but this is Walter Moore's first opportunity.
Radanfah, Kazakhstan=good place fuh finding a wife.
"Kazakhstan's prostitutes cleanest in the region"  :rotfl:
Title: Re: Caledonia duo moves to Kazakhstan while five more consider Finnish deals
Post by: SWF Reporter on February 04, 2013, 09:44:40 PM
Nice find Dynamite. I've added that link to the story :beermug:
Title: Re: Caledonia duo moves to Kazakhstan while five more consider Finnish deals
Post by: Football supporter on February 04, 2013, 09:57:10 PM
Good for them, Abu Bakr has had the chance to play in Europe already, but this is Walter Moore's first opportunity.
Radanfah, Kazakhstan=good place fuh finding a wife.
"Kazakhstan's prostitutes cleanest in the region"  :rotfl:

Nothing can live in sub zero temperatures.....including genital crabs   :rotfl: 
 (yeah, yeah, I know things survive when they're frozen, but that wouldn't be funny!)
Title: Re: Caledonia duo moves to Kazakhstan while five more consider Finnish deals
Post by: Sando on February 05, 2013, 10:54:39 AM
Excellent observation AB.Trini  !!!.....

Again, the TTFF feel they could sell anything to the public and we will buy it.

Shabazz is a terrorist and knows how to do things silently and to his benefit.

What can a man in his status teach some like Jones and Edwards who is being coach by top coaches in the world.

It reminds me when Yorke came to play for T&T while still a Man Utd player under Bertille St Clair teaching him SSFL league football tactics.

Title: Re: Caledonia duo moves to Kazakhstan while five more consider Finnish deals
Post by: Deeks on February 05, 2013, 11:30:25 AM
It reminds me when Yorke came to play for T&T while still a Man Utd player under Bertille St Clair teaching him SSFL league football tactics.

Oh gosh man Sando, you not only hitting below the belt, you hitting the man in he stones.
Title: Re: Caledonia duo moves to Kazakhstan while five more consider Finnish deals
Post by: Fyzoman on February 05, 2013, 11:44:38 AM
Excellent observation AB.Trini  !!!.....

Again, the TTFF feel they could sell anything to the public and we will buy it.

Shabazz is a terrorist and knows how to do things silently and to his benefit.

Doh say nutten bout de terrorist nah, he mission to Europe was two-fold, to sell players (personal) and to learn tactics (National Team), whappen de man multi-task it.
And it matters not who pay for de trip, whether it was he own or TTFF, right:)


What can a man in his status teach some like Jones and Edwards who is being coach by top coaches in the world.

It reminds me when Yorke came to play for T&T while still a Man Utd player under Bertille St Clair teaching him SSFL league football tactics.

Yuh see dis point yuh make here jed, dis huge....but ah want to believe dem fellahs does 'dumb-down' dey expectations (or something like dat) and just roll wid de punches under dat whole repping the red white and black vibes.

It good to see the skipper being lil vocal in the training session, ah wonder if KJ and Carlos and dem doing the same thing?



Title: Re: Caledonia duo moves to Kazakhstan while five more consider Finnish deals
Post by: Sam on February 05, 2013, 12:21:35 PM
T&T will never qualify for a senior team world cup under a local coach especially a locally based one.

Maybe a foreign Trini might be possible.

I man from Lavantille teaching a man from de Premiership how to play football.

Caledonia AIA collect one setta lix in de CCL and it exposed Shabazz ass like a red bamsee chimpanzee in heat.

Title: Re: Caledonia duo moves to Kazakhstan while five more consider Finnish deals
Post by: asylumseeker on February 05, 2013, 12:45:11 PM
T&T will never qualify for a senior team world cup under a local coach especially a locally based one.

Maybe a foreign Trini might be possible.


I man from Lavantille teaching a man from de Premiership how to play football.

Caledonia AIA collect one setta lix in de CCL and it exposed Shabazz ass like a red bamsee chimpanzee in heat.


I understand where this sentiment is coming from ... and, to be fair, some of the football on display has been uninspiring ... BUT, if we look at ... lehwe say, the same CONMEBOL that Peru is part of ... that sentiment doh hold excessive water.
Title: Re: Caledonia duo moves to Kazakhstan while five more consider Finnish deals
Post by: supporter on February 06, 2013, 12:03:09 PM
Kazakhstan, Vietnam, India, Finland....this bullshit has to stop! Enough with whoring our players out to absolute dead-end places. They can get better offers elsewhere. I'm really tired of reading that another one of our youngsters has been effectively put out to pasture (footballing-wise) half way across the world so that some dickhead agent can get a fee!
Title: Re: Caledonia duo moves to Kazakhstan while five more consider Finnish deals
Post by: vb on February 09, 2013, 12:55:34 PM
I hope Cali get some good coin yes and these ppl not financially raping dem.

VB
Title: Re: Caledonia duo moves to Kazakhstan while five more consider Finnish deals
Post by: Football supporter on February 09, 2013, 03:01:06 PM
Kazakhstan, Vietnam, India, Finland....this bullshit has to stop! Enough with whoring our players out to absolute dead-end places. They can get better offers elsewhere. I'm really tired of reading that another one of our youngsters has been effectively put out to pasture (footballing-wise) half way across the world so that some dickhead agent can get a fee!


Similar sentiments to the heated debate taking place here

http://www.wired868.com/2013/02/08/will-a-fistful-of-dollars-spoil-football-development/

Note the responses from Shabazz.  Good to see that he's taking note of criticism and responding!
Title: Re: Caledonia duo moves to Kazakhstan while five more consider Finnish deals
Post by: congo on February 09, 2013, 05:57:12 PM
Kazakhstan, Vietnam, India, Finland....this bullshit has to stop! Enough with whoring our players out to absolute dead-end places. They can get better offers elsewhere. I'm really tired of reading that another one of our youngsters has been effectively put out to pasture (footballing-wise) half way across the world so that some dickhead agent can get a fee!

 :bs: :bs:

Better offers from where? Space? Even if our players are wanted they then have to jump through hoops to even have a sniff of a work permit. Football is a hustle. Get used to it. This entitlement attitude has to stop.
Title: Re: Caledonia duo moves to Kazakhstan while five more consider Finnish deals
Post by: Bakes on February 09, 2013, 07:15:18 PM
I just vex Lasana using Britishisms like "agreeing terms" and "defeat to".
Title: Re: Caledonia duo moves to Kazakhstan while five more consider Finnish deals
Post by: finformer on February 14, 2013, 09:06:46 AM
Theobald at KuPS: http://www.kups.fi/news.php?id=801 (http://www.kups.fi/news.php?id=801)

and Guerra at RoPS: http://t.co/SwPAVoou (http://t.co/SwPAVoou)
Title: Re: Caledonia duo moves to Kazakhstan while five more consider Finnish deals
Post by: Tallman on February 14, 2013, 09:39:59 AM
Theobald at KuPS: http://www.kups.fi/news.php?id=801 (http://www.kups.fi/news.php?id=801)

and Guerra at RoPS: http://t.co/SwPAVoou (http://t.co/SwPAVoou)

Are they signed or are they on trial? It's hard to tell.
Title: Re: Caledonia duo moves to Kazakhstan while five more consider Finnish deals
Post by: finformer on February 14, 2013, 09:52:51 AM
Are they signed or are they on trial? It's hard to tell.
Trial.
Title: Re: Caledonia duo moves to Kazakhstan while five more consider Finnish deals
Post by: finformer on February 21, 2013, 09:58:13 AM
Trayon Bobb and Daniel Wilson signed for TP-47: www.tp47.com/fi/?p=2049 (http://www.tp47.com/fi/?p=2049)
Nuru Muhammad went back home due to personal reasons.
Title: Re: Caledonia duo moves to Kazakhstan while five more consider Finnish deals
Post by: ZANDOLIE on February 21, 2013, 06:49:25 PM
two guyanese get contracts almost immediately, but our best players kectching dey tail...interesting
Title: Re: Caledonia duo moves to Kazakhstan while five more consider Finnish deals
Post by: theworm2345 on February 21, 2013, 07:55:36 PM
two guyanese get contracts almost immediately, but our best players kectching dey tail...interesting
Don't be too jealous...they both signed a third-tier club while Bleeder and Guerra are on loan at top-tier clubs.
Title: Re: Caledonia duo moves to Kazakhstan while five more consider Finnish deals
Post by: finformer on February 24, 2013, 10:14:44 AM
No contract for Theobald: http://www.kups.fi/news.php?id=822 (http://www.kups.fi/news.php?id=822)
Title: Re: Caledonia duo moves to Kazakhstan while five more consider Finnish deals
Post by: asylumseeker on February 24, 2013, 03:13:51 PM
No contract for Theobald: http://www.kups.fi/news.php?id=822 (http://www.kups.fi/news.php?id=822)

Yuh see dis??!! Plenty answers in dis outcome.
Title: Re: Caledonia duo moves to Kazakhstan while five more consider Finnish deals
Post by: Trini _2026 on February 24, 2013, 03:21:15 PM
No contract for Theobald: http://www.kups.fi/news.php?id=822 (http://www.kups.fi/news.php?id=822)

Yuh see dis??!! Plenty answers in dis outcome.

hmmmm
Title: Re: Caledonia duo moves to Kazakhstan while five more consider Finnish deals
Post by: ZANDOLIE on February 24, 2013, 04:04:53 PM
two guyanese get contracts almost immediately, but our best players kectching dey tail...interesting
Don't be too jealous...they both signed a third-tier club while Bleeder and Guerra are on loan at top-tier clubs.

where you get jealous from....Trayon Bobb is a talented and deserving player. it speaks volumes that these fellas ketching they ass to play in finland, the same country whose senior team was whipped by T&T U-23s
Title: Re: Caledonia duo moves to Kazakhstan while five more consider Finnish deals
Post by: theworm2345 on February 24, 2013, 05:36:04 PM
two guyanese get contracts almost immediately, but our best players kectching dey tail...interesting
Don't be too jealous...they both signed a third-tier club while Bleeder and Guerra are on loan at top-tier clubs.

where you get jealous from....Trayon Bobb is a talented and deserving player. it speaks volumes that these fellas ketching they ass to play in finland, the same country whose senior team was whipped by T&T U-23s
Only joking.  Actually I am surprised Bobb could only get a deal at a third-tier side.  That Finnish side that played T&T was a B team (at best) though.
Title: Re: Caledonia duo moves to Kazakhstan while five more consider Finnish deals
Post by: ZANDOLIE on February 24, 2013, 05:53:54 PM
two guyanese get contracts almost immediately, but our best players kectching dey tail...interesting
Don't be too jealous...they both signed a third-tier club while Bleeder and Guerra are on loan at top-tier clubs.

where you get jealous from....Trayon Bobb is a talented and deserving player. it speaks volumes that these fellas ketching they ass to play in finland, the same country whose senior team was whipped by T&T U-23s
Only joking.  Actually I am surprised Bobb could only get a deal at a third-tier side.  That Finnish side that played T&T was a B team (at best) though.

also note that bobb and wilson were already foreigners in the t&t league. perhaps that experience of being outsiders helped them. someone described bobb as being one of the top young prospects in the Caribbean. if he could play in a shyte league in finland, then why not our 'superstars' lol
Title: Re: Caledonia duo moves to Kazakhstan while five more consider Finnish deals
Post by: elan on February 24, 2013, 10:04:23 PM
No contract for Theobald: http://www.kups.fi/news.php?id=822 (http://www.kups.fi/news.php?id=822)

So man saying how good Theobald is and he eh fit? What happen to playing in India all this time, he didn't work on fitness? How are these other places "better" yet our players coming back with the same deficiencies as they left?
Title: Re: Caledonia duo moves to Kazakhstan while five more consider Finnish deals
Post by: Bakes on February 25, 2013, 12:53:27 AM
where you get jealous from....Trayon Bobb is a talented and deserving player. it speaks volumes that these fellas ketching they ass to play in finland, the same country whose senior team was whipped by T&T U-23s

Does the English national team reflect the talent in its top tier domestic league?
Title: Re: Caledonia duo moves to Kazakhstan while five more consider Finnish deals
Post by: ZANDOLIE on February 25, 2013, 06:21:28 PM
where you get jealous from....Trayon Bobb is a talented and deserving player. it speaks volumes that these fellas ketching they ass to play in finland, the same country whose senior team was whipped by T&T U-23s

Does the English national team reflect the talent in its top tier domestic league?

It does not. However almost every single player on the English National team plays their trade in England. And the English league is stocked with a number of high quality internationals from top footballing nations. Most of the Finnish National team, unlike the English NT, ply their trade outside Finland. On the other hand the 4-time Finnish Premier League club champion 2009-current consists almost exclusively of Finns. And their few foreign players are not internationals or players of note as far as I know.

I do understand your point though, but in this particular case the situation is not equivalent. Unlike the EPL, the Finnish league is understrength relative to its NT, and to quality internationals in particular.
Title: Re: Caledonia duo moves to Kazakhstan while five more consider Finnish deals
Post by: Bakes on February 25, 2013, 06:41:37 PM
It does not. However almost every single player on the English National team plays their trade in England. And the English league is stocked with a number of high quality internationals from top footballing nations. Most of the Finnish National team, unlike the English NT, ply their trade outside Finland. On the other hand the 4-time Finnish Premier League club champion 2009-current consists almost exclusively of Finns. And their few foreign players are not internationals or players of note as far as I know.

I do understand your point though, but in this particular case the situation is not equivalent. Unlike the EPL, the Finnish league is understrength relative to its NT, and to quality internationals in particular.

Well I won't belabor the argument... but there really is very little correlation between the strength of a National Team's performance and the relative strength of it's top flight domestic league.  There are any number of factors which affect the performance of the national team, not the least of which being chemistry/morale and coaching.  See for example, the difference that coaching made to a team such as TnT or Germany.  In our case we arguably overachieved relative to what our PFL would suggest our capabilities to be.  Prior to Klinsmann (and now Low), arguably Der Mannschaft underachieved relative to the strength of the DFB.  Where quality of the domestic league DOES factor, is in providing a rich talent pool for national selection... but as we know, talent isn't everything, just ask Brazil.
Title: Re: Caledonia duo moves to Kazakhstan while five more consider Finnish deals
Post by: ZANDOLIE on February 25, 2013, 08:32:38 PM
"but there really is very little correlation between the strength of a National Team's performance and the relative strength of it's top flight domestic league."

this is generally true, with the added complexities of the global football system. either way, when your best midfield prospects appear to be ketching they nen-nen in godforsaken places in finland we arse in dire straights. its one thing to make inroads into diverse global markets. but i think the pro-league is being pushed (or pushing itself) into increasingly peripheral markets. you dream of playing before millions in the EPL or La Liga. But no little boys or girls put up their hand in class and declare they dream of being a big star in Vietnam  lol
Title: Re: Caledonia duo moves to Kazakhstan while five more consider Finnish deals
Post by: Bakes on February 25, 2013, 11:27:16 PM
"but there really is very little correlation between the strength of a National Team's performance and the relative strength of it's top flight domestic league."

this is generally true, with the added complexities of the global football system. either way, when your best midfield prospects appear to be ketching they nen-nen in godforsaken places in finland we arse in dire straights. its one thing to make inroads into diverse global markets. but i think the pro-league is being pushed (or pushing itself) into increasingly peripheral markets. you dream of playing before millions in the EPL or La Liga. But no little boys or girls put up their hand in class and declare they dream of being a big star in Vietnam  lol

Agree that this is generally the case and that there certainly are notable exceptions.  Cogent points about the PFL's talent sources and where our more promising talents are currently finding professional homes.
Title: Re: Caledonia duo moves to Kazakhstan while five more consider Finnish deals
Post by: asylumseeker on February 26, 2013, 01:35:17 PM
No contract for Theobald: http://www.kups.fi/news.php?id=822 (http://www.kups.fi/news.php?id=822)

Yuh see dis??!! Plenty answers in dis outcome.

hmmmm

I say we send his "understudy" to the same club and see if he gets signed. Anyone a betting poster?
Title: Re: Caledonia duo moves to Kazakhstan while five more consider Finnish deals
Post by: Trini _2026 on February 26, 2013, 06:05:36 PM
seem like Guerra is doing well and may get signed
Title: Re: Caledonia duo moves to Kazakhstan while five more consider Finnish deals
Post by: finformer on March 15, 2013, 03:35:07 AM
Guerra signed one-year deal with RoPS: http://tinyurl.com/c8h95lv (http://tinyurl.com/c8h95lv)
Title: Re: Caledonia duo moves to Kazakhstan while five more consider Finnish deals
Post by: madness on March 15, 2013, 04:23:27 AM
Pfister is right then... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lim638v4MCk
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