Warner: 2008 a hectic year for football.
By: Shaun Fuentes (TTFF).[/size]
Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation Special Advisor Jack Warner says planning of international friendlies for this country’s National Senior Team will receive further attention following the draw for the 2010 World Cup qualifying preliminary round which takes place in Durban on Sunday. Warner was speaking following the TTFF’s Annual General Meeting at the Dr Joao Havelange Centre of Excellence on Sunday.
Warner addressed some matters including the continuation of the National Under 17 team from the recent FIFA Under 17 World Championship in South Korea, the preparations of the Senior Team for 2010 World Cup and the celebrations of the TTFF’s centennial year which he said could see an international game against Germany’s National Team and a visit by FIFA President Sepp Blatter.
“Next year will be the 100th anniversary of the TTFF and they have formed a centennial celebrations committee under the chairmanship of Kenny De Silva and the CEO will be Mr Pater O’Connor. We decided this (Sunday) morning that all the events next year will be part of the centennial celebrations. Mr Blatter has agreed to come for the centennial dinner and we will also have matches to commemorate this with possibly Germany. We will also have a Caribbean Under 16 competition for Girls and Boys next year. We will also have events involving our regional association and to ensure all arms of football play some functional role to mark role in the celebrations,” Warner told TTFF Media.
Warner added that the 2008 programme will be a hectic one and he remains confident of the country’s chances in the 2010 World Cup qualifying bid.
“Our first World Cup qualifying match will be in June and it will be a very big affair. We hope to also have our Caribbean colleagues to take part in the events because this is a milestone.
“We have the capacity and ability to qualify again for 2010 once we get our act together. I have extreme confidence that we shall do it. I have told the Football Federation to let their politics work for them. If they do that they should have very good working relationship with the Government and the Ministry of Sport to make sure the assistance that they need… they have it on an ongoing basis. I repeat the Federation alone cannot do it. It has to be a collective responsibility of the Federation, business (and) definitely the Government,” Warner said.
He further stated that there will be review of national team staff members as well as a program which will see the Under 17 players graduate to the Under 20 level. Aside from that the TTFF continues to embark on the development of coaches through its coaching license programmes and local participants continue to attend the different workshops hosted by FIFA/CONCACAF.
“We did say we will keep that team together and it shall form the nucleus of our Under 20 team. There will be screening for these teams at the youth level after Carnival in February and there will be reviews of staff members and the selection process will take place for the various teams. ”
Warner added that serious emphasis will be placed on the development of officials in the various areas of the local game with an eye on ensuring that T&T is represented on CONCACAF and FIFA committees.
“We have to have a special meeting where we shall look very candidly… objectively to see how we can fill the leadership void that exists at all levels as this is now in short supply. This will be done at our retreat on December 2. I give you the assurance that the Referees Assistance programme which FIFA has approved and which CONCACAF will institutionalize next year shall also benefit our referees here because generally speaking refereeing in CONCACAF and particularly in the Caribbean is at a very low level,” Warner added.
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