Trinidad and Tobago skipper Dwight Yorke and teammates were feeling at home from afar as they settled in at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Bahrain treated to meals, home cooked-style, compliment of local chef Cecil Wint.
Win, along with assistant Jeannette Douglas were hired by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation to travel to Bahrain to prepare the meals for the team which was experiencing it’s first stay ever in the Asian country.
Since arriving here on Sunday night, the team has had little to worry about off the pitch and coach Leo Beenhakker has been fortunate to have all conditions in order for preparations ahead of Wednesday’s do or die 2006 World Cup qualification playoff with Bahrain from 12 midday T&T time.
The TTFF also ensured that payments following Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Bahrain were handed out to the players on time following the match and other incentives are also in place once a win comes through on Wednesday.
The team had a one hour recovery session at the Bahrain FA’s training pitch, a stone’s throw away from the Bahrain National Stadium on Monday morning from 9:30am on Monday.
Under warm conditions, nothing different from what the “Warriors” are accustomed to back home, trainer Zeph Nicholas led the work out while Leo Beenhakker also directed a short sprint session with Dwight Yorke and company before a ball possession exercise which was aimed at getting the players to work the ball around for longer periods.
“Keep the ball like you’ve never done it before,” Yorke yelled several times during the workout. “Just one final push guys, one final push is what we have got to do.”
“I think the mood has been getting better and obviously we know what’s at stake on Wednesday and the guys have accepted that they were disappointing in the last game. This is our chance to make it better and by doing so, claiming our place in the World Cup next year,” Yorke told TTFF Media.
The mood was a vibrant one but one could sense that the intensity of the match on Saturday and then the long flight had taken some toll on the players but it all appeared to be normal again as the session approached closing time. Dennis Lawrence trained separately with Nicholas due to muscle tightness. Midfielder Aurtis Whitley had to spend the time recovering from an ankle blow but has been passed fit to resume training from Tuesday with the rest of the 21-man squad minus Anthony Wolfe who was left out of the traveling party.
Beenhakker then took over the warm down period by repeating the short stop sprints.
Following lunch, Beenhakker led a meeting with the players and words were passionately exchanged. Beenhakker did most of the talking, letting his players know that destiny was at their feet on Wednesday.
“This is what you dream of as a kid. And everything you have achieved or not achieved for the years gone comes down to this. And what you can achieve now makes up for what you have not achieved in the past,” Beenhakker said.
A second session, this time open to the media and witnessed by an enthusiastic bunch of traveling T&T supporters took place from 6pm and the pace increased as Beenhakker put his players into a game situation workout. The turn out by the fans, roughly over 100 hundred of them was the largest ever to witness the team train either home or away for the entire campaign so far.