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Overseas 'Warriors' on same flight with Bahrain
Monday, November 7th 2005
Some of Trinidad and Tobago's overseas-based professionals will be journeying from London along with the full Bahrain national squad aboard BWIA Flight 901 which is expected to arrive at Piarco International Airport at around 5 p.m. today.
The teams will square off in a 2006 World Cup play-off at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port of Spain on Saturday, with kick-off set for 6.30 p.m.
Scottish-based midfielder Russell Latapy, West Ham goalie Shaka Hislop, Dundee's Kelvin Jack, Crewe Alexandra's Clayton Ince, Luton Town's Carlos Edwards, St Johnston's Jason Scotland, Glasgow Rangers' Marvin Andrews, Yokohama's Silvio Spann and Derby County forward Stern John will be on the flight along with their Bahrain opponents, who will be coming off a 16-hour flight after connecting from London.
Chris Birchall and Dennis Lawrence will also arrive today from Manchester after their flight was delayed a day, while T&T captain Dwight Yorke comes in tomorrow.
Arriving on Saturday night was Brent Sancho from England, while United States-based trio Cornell Glen, Scott Sealy and Avery John were due in yesterday.
The Trinidad and Tobago squad will assemble at the Crowne Plaza, Wrightson Road today, while Bahrain will be based at the Hilton Trinidad.
The home-based pros in the T&T squad are Caledonia AIA Fire's Densill Theobald, CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh duo Cyd Gray and Aurtis Whitley and National Quarries North East Stars' Anthony Wolfe.
The Bahrain management have also requested use of the Queen's Park Savannah for a light stretch this evening and will then train the following three days at the Larry Gomes Stadium in Malabar, each day from 6.30-8.30 p.m. and then on Friday at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.
T&T will train from tomorrow at the match venue.
And Trinidad and Tobago head coach Leo Beenhakker will have his hands full come today after Southampton striker Kenwyne Jones was passed fit on Saturday was also scheduled to arrive in Trinidad yesterday for the weekend showdown.
Last Friday, Jones' club Southampton FC sent a fax to the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (T&TFF) advising that Jones was unfit to travel and partake in the preparations and match due to a hamstring injury, which forced Beenhakker to omit him from the 21-man squad.
The Dutchman then named Cornell Glen as his replacement on Saturday, only to learn later that evening that Jones had passed a fitness test.
Beenhakker has since decided to have both men in the camp and the squad will now comprise 22 players.
"This could not have been a better time for me to return to the squad," an excited Glen told T&TFF media officer Shaun Fuentes on hearing the news of his recall on Saturday evening. "I think we are in with a great chance but it is so important that we give it our best shot and I'm grateful for this chance to be in the squad now."
And Bahrain were strengthened by their professionals, who returned to the Kingdom from Doha on the weekend.
The eight professionals came back after playing their matches with their Qatari clubs in the Premier Division.
Al Gharrafa's strikers Hussain Ali and Ala'a Hubail and Al Silia midfielder Mahmood Jalal returned Friday night, while defenders Mohamemd Juma'a, Sayed Mohammed Adnan (Al Khor) and midfielders Mohammed Salmeen, Salman Isa (Al Arabi), Mohammed Hubail (Qatar Club) arrived earlier on Friday.
However, the players did not practice with the team on Saturday as they were rested by coach Luka Peruzovic of Belgium.
Bahrain team manager Abdulrazzaq Mohammed said the professionals trained yesterday, prior to their trip to Port of Spain.
According to Mohammed, the team will return home in a private jet soon after Saturday's first leg match, while the second leg game is scheduled four days later at the Bahrain National Stadium in Riffa.