Antiguans aiming to impress in friendly against Soca Warriors
T&T Newsday Reports.
Antigua and Barbuda’s national football team will arrive in Port-of-Spain on Monday mindful of the importance of their friendly international against Trinidad and Tobago two days later as they aim to secure a place in the 2010 Digicel Caribbean Championships.
Antigua, ranked 129th in the world, will host a preliminary group in the DCC and will be using next Wednesday’s friendly as a warm-up for their qualifying matches against Cuba, Suriname and St Martin from August 18-22.
Antiguan Football Association General Secretary Gordon Derrick told the media that Wednesday’s match should serve as the ideal practice match for the island’s national team.
“It starts Trinidad’s 2014 World Cup campaign. It also starts Antigua and Barbuda’s 2014 World Cup campaign. So both countries are using it as our kick-off in terms of getting our teams ready, getting prepared.
World Cup 2010 has just (been) completed and it’s now time for us to get sorted,” Derrick said.
Derrick said that the association is already taking steps to put the team further ahead in the rankings.
“We are now trying to get Antigua positioned within the top 70 of FIFA, and therefore, we must be playing teams of a higher level.
Trinidad and Tobago is ranked in the top 70 of the world so we now want to play teams of that quality and above… We believe we have the quality to compete on the field,” Derrick added.
Former Jabloteh player Peter Byers is among Antigua’s overseas-based players currently attached to Canadian club Montreal Impact which campaigns in the US League two.
Former Joe Public and Jabloteh striker Gayson Gregory is currently playing for Antiguan club Old Road FC while another ex Joe Public and Tobago United defender George Dublin is also based with Antiguan Premier Division club Hoppers.
Antiguan defender Marc Joseph is a member of English professional club Rotherham United.
Meantime, last week three of the Antigua’s bright youth footballers departed for a training stint with Newcastle United Academy.
The players, Javan Philip, Elvis Thomas and Trevaughn Harriete, left the island for two weeks of intensive training and assessment, organised through the initiatives of The Soccer Academy.
TT coach Russell Latapy will continue training with the players on Monday at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya and is expected to name a 20-man squad on the weekend. TT will also face Jamaica in a friendly international here on August 11.
Caledonia AIA midfielder Densill Theobald spoke of the need for the “Soca Warriors” to stamp their authority in the region.
“These Caribbean teams some how always manage to make it a difficult game for us and we will not take them lightly on Wednesday.
Both of us are preparing for the Digicel Championships but we also have our sights on the bigger picture which is the Gold Cup and Brazil 2014.
“That means every opportunity to play a practice match whether it be against Antigua or a high ranked country will be taken seriously and we will go all out to impress and win the affair,” Theobald said following Monday’s training session.
Wednesday’s match kicks of at 6 pm at the Marvin Lee Stadium and tickets will be available at the venue at $40 (adults) and $20 for children.