Third year T&T Pro League club, Ma Pau has made another raid on newly-crowned Digicel Pro League champions, bmobile Joe Public with the capture of experienced goalkeeper Alejandro Figueroa.
Less than a week after announcing the signing of hard tackling Joe Public defender Seon Powers, the Woodbrook-based Ma Pau coached by former Joe Public technical director Michael McComie, has managed to woo the experience Colombian custodian.
Figueroa was set to be out of contract by today and was offered a new deal by Joe Public. However, he has opted to make the move to the Ma Pau.
Eve also said the club has completed the signings of two more former Clico San Juan Jabloteh players in 21-year-old Lester “Corn Curls” Peltier and Joe Russell, 20. The signings were announced by assistant coach Angus Eve on Wednesday.
Figueroa, who is currently on vaction in his native Colombia played a key role in Joe Public’s capturing of five titles during the season, his third year with the club. The Colombian who has also played for local clubs Doc’s Khelwalaas, Jabloteh and W Connection since arriving in T&T in 1997.
Peltier and Russell were part of the Jabloteh set-up for the past four years and their departure will be another blow for returning coach, Englishman Terry Fenwick. The signing of the trio brings the total number of new players for the 2010 season snapped up by Ma Pau to six.
Last week Eve also confirmed the signing of Joe Public’s Powers and Jabloteh midfielders Elton John and Devon Jamerson on two-year contracts. Eve, a former national midfielder and coach at Jabloteh said the club was very delighted with the players they have managed to acquire so far in the off season as they plan on mounting a serious challenge for all the titles at stake along.
The Ma Pau assistant said, “We are not finish with signings for the 2010 season as we expect to acquire three more players over the next week which will bring the total to nine.” Club coach Michael Mc Comie added that the players who they went after have all accepted the chance to come to a club which they see going in the right direction.
“We have expressed to the guys that we intend to be much more competive and I must also credit Angus (Eve) for the job done so far with regards to the new players. “Angus was given the responsibility of player recruitment and I must say that we have been very pleased with quality of players he has managed to bring to the club.
With regards to the signing of Powers, which was refuted by Joe Public Managing Director Darryl Warner, Mc Comie said it was rather strange too see the release from the club. “We held discussions with the player and we are in possession of a written contract which the player will be sticking too”, added Mc Comie.
Joe fines errant players 15 per cent of salaries
Darryl Warner, Managing Dierctor of Digicel Pro League champions, bmobile Joe Public has confirmed that errant players Hayden Tinto, Carlyle Mitchell, Gorean Highley and Kareem Young have been fined for playing in minor league football.
The four players who all played key roles in helping the Eastern Lions capture an unprecedented five titles during the just concluded Pro League season were all caught playing in the Eddie Hart Football League earlier this month.
The players were seen by a member of the club’s technical staff who reported the matter to the club management who after some deliberation have decided to fine the players, 15 per cent of their salaries for the month of January 2010.
Warner also revealed that the club has decided to part ways with experienced defender Keyeno Thomas, who missed the latter stages of the season through injury along with national Under-20 midfielder Jean-Luc Rochford.
The burly Thomas, who has been with the club for almost six years is said to be close to a move to Ma Pau, where he is expected to reunite with former Joe Public coach Michael Mc Comie while its is understood that Rochford did not sign because he is eyeing a trial stint in the Middle East.
So far this off-season, JoePublic has signed up striker Andre Toussaint and Nigel Daniel, who were both out of contracts at W Connection and United Petrotrin respectively.
Caledonia offers Joseph, David new deals
Digicel Pro Bowl runners-up Caledonia AIA of Morvant/Laventille has offered new deals to out-of-contract duo Stephan David and Kareem Joseph. This was confirmed by club coach, Jamaal Shabazz when contacted on Wednesday.
Shabbaz was quick to squash reports that Joseph who’s contract expired at the end of the season had signed for Clico San Juan Jabloteh. “Kareem has not signed with Jabloteh and all we are awaiting now is for him to put pen to paper on a new deal with us.”
“The same applies to David who has already given us his word that he will be returning to the club.” Shabazz also confirmed that Guyanese striker Randolph Jerome, who has played for no fewer than four local clubs and midfielder Marcus “Schoolboy” Ambrose are both out of contract and have not been offered new deals.