David Nakhid: No help for Bahrian.
By: Lasana Liburd (Express).[/size]
Former Trinidad and Tobago national football team captain David Nakhid yesterday denied any approach from the Bahrain Football Association (BFA) to spy on his homeland for next month's crucial 2006 World Cup qualifiers between the two countries.
However, Nakhid, an employee of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (T&TFF) for much of their World Cup campaign, admitted that he already accepted an offer to coach Bahrain's national under-20 squad and oversee their youth programme.
Nakhid claimed to have insisted on one condition. He would have nothing to do with the Bahrain senior team until the completion of their qualifying schedule.
Trinidad and Tobago tackle Bahrain in home and away qualifying fixtures on November 12 and 16. The winner alone would advance to the Germany showcase tournament.
The 41-year-old Nakhid, who was fired by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (T&TFF) via email on October 15, made no secret of his bias for next month's vital play-off match.
"I want Trinidad and Tobago to qualify," said Nakhid, who represented T&T as a player in three qualifying campaigns. "I have had no discussion with any member of the Bahrain national team. Everything that has been written is just speculation by the Bahraini press."
Nakhid claimed that he received a courtesy call by a Bahraini scout, on October 15, congratulating him on his role with the national squad. He insisted that there was nothing unusual about the gesture since he was well known in the Middle East because of his playing career in Lebanon.
He told the official that he was no longer employed by the T&TFF and, two hours later, he allegedly received an e-mail from the Bahrain Minister of Sport, which offered him the role of national youth coach. Nakhid said that the Bahraini minister was a fellow American University past pupil who had kept abreast of his career.
He insisted that he was never asked to provide a dossier on the Trinidad and Tobago team.
Nakhid also dismissed reports in the Trinidad and Tobago media that the Bahraini players were promised US $1 million and a Mercedes Benz each if they booked a place at the 2006 World Cup and claimed the story was met with anger in the Asian country. Like Trinidad and Tobago, Bahrain have never qualified for a Fifa senior tournament.
"There is a misconception that countries like Bahrain have money throwing around," said Nakhid. "That is real stupidness. The fact is the (Bahrain) players don't make more than a thousand Dinars a game (US$2,652.00). So the Trinidad players actually make more."
In contrast, Jack Warner, T&TFF special advisor, promised that each T&T player will receive between US$10,000 and $12,000 in match fees for next month's clash against Bahrain.
Nakhid spoke to the Trinidad Express from Bahrain where he has already began putting things in place for his new role, which officially commences at the end of their qualifying campaign.
He again insisted that his split from the T&TFF was due to a dispute with assistant national coach Whim Rhizerburg-who, like head coach Leo Beenhakker, is Dutch-and not because of comments aired on the TV6 Morning Edition regarding "some members of the Syrian community, who are allegedly involved in the drug trade".
The alleged incident occurred at a Panamanian hotel on October 7, a day before T&T edged their hosts 1-0 in a crucial qualifier, when Nakhid took exception to the quality of sandwiches provided for the players by a waitress and voiced his disapproval of the hotel's fare.
Certain comments by Rhizerburg about Arabians, according to Nakhid, then ignited the situation.
The pair came close to blows.
Beenhakker, who coached Nakhid in the early 1990s at Swiss club, FC Grasshoppers, was not present at the time but Nakhid said that the ex-Real Madrid and Dutch national boss never spoke to him again.
Nakhid believes that his split from the T&TFF had more to do with the Panama incident than the TV6 episode.
"Warner knew he could not give the real reason why I was fired," he said. "So he used the TV6 programme instead."
Nakhid's run-ins with the establishment are as famous as his crafty passes.
Shunned by Cummings, he joined the national team in 1992 towards the end of their unsuccessful World Cup qualifying campaign. He was elevated to the role of captain in 1994 when he helped T&T regain the Caribbean title and was adjudged the Caribbean's Player of the Year.
In the 1994 Caribbean Cup final, though, the national team refused to play unless they were paid outstanding monies owed by the local association. A deal was clinched and they went out to hammer Martinique 7-2-the highest score ever in a regional final.
Nakhid went on to fall out publicly with the Lebanon FA (he was jailed but subsequently cleared by FIFA of alleged dishonesty as a football agent with Warner playing an integral role in his release), the T&TFF (he was declared persona non grata after the 2001 Concacaf Gold Cup), his former teammate Russell Latapy (he hinted that Latapy's handlers initiated a protest against his return as a player last year) and CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh coach and ex-English international Terry Fenwick (he questioned Fenwick's coaching capabilities and role as a sport agent on a live radio broadcast).
In each case, Nakhid landed on his feet with little evident long-term damage.
He is the only Trinidad and Tobago player in this decade to be afforded a testimonial match by the T&TFF while he returned to Lebanon to work as a player and then coach. His position within Beenhakker's squad also survived Latapy's return to international duty.
Nakhid, who said he had no personal problems with either Warner or Beenhakker, insisted he was no troublemaker but merely someone always willing to stand up for what was right in his opinion.
"Anyone who disrespects me or who I am," said Nakhid, "I will not accept it. I want to go to the World Cup but not at the expense of my dignity. My ambition (as a person) is to lead a happy and fulfilling life.
"I wish Trinidad and Tobago all the best. It was great to have been involved but I cannot say I am saddened because nothing surprises me in football."
Nakhid's imminent switch from the T&TFF to the Bahrain FA is the latest of many surprises by one of the country's most gifted past players.
