Former national football coach and technical director Edgar Vidale will be awarded the Chaconia Silver medal on Monday by President Paula Mae Weekes, at 5 pm at President's House in St Ann's, Port-of-Spain.
He was nominated by the Veterans Football Foundation of T&T (VFFOTT). The award should have taken place in 2021 but the COVID-19 pandemic ruled it out.
The Chaconia Medal is given to people (citizens and non-citizens) who have performed long and meritorious service to the country tending to promote the national welfare or strengthen the community spirit.
Vidale, the brother-in-law of former national footballer and coach Alvin Corneal, has been a household name in T&T, as a former national footballer, coach, cricketer and football administrator.
The height of his career was coaching the now-familiar national football team of 1973 in the FIFA World Cup qualifier against Haiti in Port-au-Prince where the team scored five legitimate goals but they were disallowed. T&T lost 1-2 to the home team.
Vidale on Sunday still remembered that controversial match following which the officials, referee, José Roberto Henríquez of El Salvador and Canadian linesman James Higuet were subsequently both banned for life by the sport's world governing body, FIFA.
Now 88, Vidale said he felt very happy and honoured to be receiving such an award.
"I am not surprised that I am getting the award but the one I am getting is what I am surprised about. It is a pretty distinguished award. It shows that my colleagues and countrymen appreciate what I have done over the years," Vidale said.
Apart from coaching arguably one of the country's most talented football teams in a qualifying tournament, Vidale was also president of the Southern Football Association, vice president of the T&T Football Association's Technical Committee, several other titles.
SOURCE: T&T Guardian