Sidebar

28
Thu, Mar
28 New Articles

Typography

Trinidad and Tobago’s Olympic team coaches Michael McComie and Jan Van Deinsen have extended further invitations to CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh trio Lester Peltier, Atulla Guerra and Khaleem Hyland to attend training ahead of next months Caribbean Football Union final round of Olympic qualifiers.


The T&T team, fresh from topping Group A in the first round will resume competition next month against Grenada and Cuba at a venue to be finalized. The top team from the Group will advance to the CONCACAF Final stage next year leading to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Previously, the Jabloteh trio had been excluded from the squad for not showing up to  training sessions prior to the previous round.

The Olympic team is also considering adding some of the overseas-based players eligible to play in the competition and they could include the likes of English-based goalkeeper Andre Charles, US-based College striker Kevon Neaves, Belgium-based duo Matthew Bartholomew and Aaron Downing and Ancil Farrier.

McComie stressed that once the Jabloteh players turned up for training then they were to be considered for final team selection to face the next two teams that have been scouted by T&T.

“We have been and continue to always be trying to pick the strongest team for the tournament. There was never anything personal against the players,” McComie told TTFF Media. “But once a player is selected to attend training and  does not turn up then he will not be selected. That’s part of our philosophy.”

McComie further explained that the players invited for training still have to prove their worth before making the final squad which will go into a live in training camp October 1, a week before the next stage of the competition begins.

“If they accept the invitation through the club then that’s fine. We haven’t yet finalized a squad because we also have to look into the possibilities of acquiring the services of some our overseas based players who we hope to have for this upcoming round.

“We have expressed some concern also about players saying they sometimes don’t  get the official notification of invitations and training schedules from the club after it’s been sent out by the TTFF. Players saying they are not advised of the notifications or being told by the club when they can attend and when they cannot show up is a bit strange and we will not allow those things to have a negative effect on the team’s preparations. We will also be exercising the right to bring back some of the overseas players to strengthen certain departments of the team,” McComie added.

Both National Senior Team head coach Wim Rijsbergen and McComie will meet this week at a date to be finalized with T&T Pro League club coaches and CEO Dexter Skeene to discuss the team’s preparations for the remainder of the Olympic qualifying campaign.

“We really will be meeting to discuss the upcoming preparations and to get feedback from the coaches pertaining to the training camps among other matters,” the former national team goalie added. (Sept 17, 2007.Photo shows Kevon Neaves at left along with Aurtis Whitley during a Miami training session last year.)

Squad for training on September 19 and 25:
Larry Bacchus, Simeon Augustus, Devon Drayton, Keon Daniel, Kevon Rouse (Petrotrin);
Marcus Ambrose, Carlyle Mitchell, Hayden Tinto, Radanfah Abu Bakr,Kerwin Beckles,  (Caledonia AIA);
Akil Edwards, Richard Roy (Defence Force);
Kevin Mussio, Lester Peltier, Atulla Guerra, Carlon Murray, Devon Jamerson, Khaleem Hyland (Jabloteh);
Shane Calderon, Kareem Gray (W Connection);
Christopher Sam (Police); Kendall Jagdeosingh (North East Stars); Silas Spann (Joe Public)