Caledonia a positive out of negatively tagged Morvant/Laventille
ttproleague.comFriday night’s celebration of the 2011 First Citizens Cup meant a great deal for Caledonia AIA of Morvant/Laventille according to longstanding Head Coach Jamaal Shabazz following his team’s 2-1 victory over T&TEC FC at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.
Morvant/Laventille, deemed one of the largest crime ridden areas of Trinidad and listed as one of the crime “hot spots” currently under curfew during the hours of 11pm – 4am following a State of Emergency implemented by the T&T Government, isn’t all negative.
It was from these communities that world renowned footballer Russell Latapy and other top players Dennis Lawrence, Aurtis Whitley, Devorn Jorsling, Reynold George, Selris Figaro, Nevick Deenoon, Sammy Lleweyn, Anthony Streete and Travis Mulraine were produced.
Now football club Caledonia AIA, winner of the 2008 FA Trophy and Pro Bowl and last season’s Digicel Pro League Championship runner-up continues to represent the stigmatized communities proudly by lifting the First Citizens Cup.
“I think it’s a very good feeling (to win the First Citizens Cup) under the circumstances of what’s happening in the country for the communities of Morvant/Laventille and east Port of Spain,” said Shabazz in his post match interview.
“I think it’s really one for the supporters. They didn’t come out in their numbers but all in all it was a great feeling not just for us as a team or how hard the players and the staff worked, but for the communities that we are from as well.”
Morvant resident Kareem ‘Tiny’ Joseph netted a brilliant first half strike to level the scores 1-1 after T&TEC held and early advantage through Sylvester Teesdale. Joseph then gave Caledonia the winner in the second period when he converted from the penalty spot against goalkeeper Akini Adams after Micah Lewis was fouled inside the area by Andrei Pacheco.
Shabazz said, “(Assistant) Coach Jerry Moe was talking to the players about belief before the match and I thought we showed tremendous belief coming from a goal down we played with that desire and that made the difference for us (against T&TEC).”
Shabazz who was also at the helm of things when his side was defeated in the 2001 and 2007 First Citizens Cup Finals against W Connection on both occasions felt disappointed that Caledonia wasn’t fully supported by the communities of Morvant/Laventille on Friday night but hopes that the 2011 title would help reunite the communities separated by gang warfare.
“I’m a little bit disappointed in the people of Morvant/Laventille,” he said. “I’m not sure if they are still afraid of the curfew but I think we’ve got to do some work now to regroup the communities.
We’ve been divided with all these border line nonsense and gang warfare. Now we hope that with the First Citizens Cup we’ve got to do some work in bringing the communities back together so when we reach in a Final like this again we can have a better showing from the Morvant/Laventille and East Port of Spain environs.”
