Warner: T&TFF have no money.
By: Kern De Freitas (Express)....CFU youth tourney kicks off tomorrow"We have no money! We have no money!"
Just two days before Trinidad and Tobago kick off their Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Youth Cup qualifying campaign tomorrow, Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (T&TFF) special adviser Jack Warner is complaining that the T&TFF is operating on a skeletal budget.
Still, Warner, who also wears the hat of CFU president, is urging young T&T to play with pride, and give of their best for this country.
"I am asking you young men to go out and do your best," Warner told the players during yesterday's launch, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Wrightson Road, Port of Spain.
"This event is costing us tremendous money. We have to behave like we are Haiti, who are poor, but they keep on fighting."
Warner referred to the current dispute over use of the main stadia in T&T, disclosing that the T&TFF had written to the Government, telling them that they need no financial support. He reiterated that the staging of the 2010 Women's Under-17 World Cup in T&T was in jeopardy because the stadia issue has not yet been resolved.
The CFU competition includes, for the first time, an eight-team Under-15 Girls Invitational, in which T&T will face the Bahamas, Anguilla and the Dominican Republic in Group A. Group B comprises Haiti, the Cayman Islands, Jamaica and Aruba.
The T&T Under-17 boys will take on Bermuda and Aruba in Group D. The other teams in the tournament are St Vincent and the Grenadines, the Turks and Caicos Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Guyana, Grenada, Barbados, Dominican Republic, Netherlands Antilles, Antigua and Barbuda, Jamaica, the US Virgin Islands, Suriname, Haiti, St Kitts and Guadeloupe.
Warner told the players there is no "easy match", and that they should play each game as if it were their last.
"In case your memory is short, look at what the (Bermudan) seniors nearly did to our World Cup campaign. There is no such thing as an easy match!" he exclaimed.
Warner asked both national youth teams to give their best for T&T.
"I talk to you as a supporter, a benefactor, a friend, who asks you to give the best for your country, your school, yourselves."
T&T Under-17 manager Christopher Gouveia assured the public his charges would give their best.
"We will make every effort to win this tournament, so we can give ourselves the opportunity to qualify in Mexico for another youth World Cup."
The top two teams from the CFU Under-17 Youth Cup will move on to the CONCACAF qualifiers in Mexico, where they will battle for a place in the next Under-17 World Championships.
T&T Under-17 Boys:John Thomas, Jamal Francois (goalkeepers); Akeems Grant, Reshad Wint, Dillon Kirton, Stephen Wiltshire, Shaquille Stewart, Dinnel Lopez, Omarr Charles (defenders); Zavion Navarro, Shahdon Winchester, Luke Hernandez, Vernell Ramirez, Moriba Ballah, Ross Russell, Ryan Frederick, Kylon Gay (midfielders); Cordel Cato, Jerrel Britto, Malcolm Manswell; Anton Corneal (coach), Hutson Charles (assistant coach), Shawn Cooper (assistant coach), Ross Russell (goalkeeping coach), Gilbert Bateau (trainer), Michael Taylor (physio), Esmond O'Brien (equipment manager), Christopher Gouveia (manager).
T&T Under-15 Girls:Kerchel Torres, Donischia Marlow, Annelca Mendoza, Khadisha Debesette, Khadidra Debesette, Malique Asson, Samantha, Kissoon, Shalette Alexander, Toneitta Phillip, Quianner Gore, Brittaney Prescott, Rehana Omardeen, Teneisha Cobham, Camille Borneo, Patrice Campbell, Kayla Taylor, Victoria Swift, Jonelle Warrick, D'Jhavae Cipriani, Kerry Meyers, Linfa Jones; Richard Hood (head coach), Kathy Ann Nixon (assistant coach), Glennon Foncette (goalkeeping coach), Chris Bailey (trainer), Claire George (equipment manager), Jinelle James (manager).
TALKING FOOTBALL: Trinidad and Tobago Under-17 Boys football team manager Christopher Gouveia, left, addresses the players during the launch of the Caribbean Football Union Youth Cup and Girls Invitational tournaments, yesterday. Also in photo, from left, are CFU president Jack Warner, T&TFF general secretary Richard Groden, and T&TFF vice president, Rudolph Thomas. -Photo: JERMAINE CRUICKSHANK
