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francisco maturana.jpgThe “Soca Warriors” looks set to play their 2010 Concacaf Semifinal Round World Cup home matches outside of T&T. This was revealed by Fifa vice-president and T&T Football Federation special advisor Jack Warner at a media conference held at the Teak Room, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Wrightson Road, yesterday.
The “Soca Warriors” are set to begin its Concacaf Semifinal Round Group A World Cup Qualification home-and-away series against Cuba, Guatemala and USA beginning on August 20, in Havana and the return matches in T&T were expected to be played at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo.

However, with the Hasely Crawford Stadium and all other stadiums unavailable to the T&T Football Federation (T&TFF) at the moment, the Queen’s Park Oval was being looked as a possible venue for home matches as was done in the past.

But according to Warner, T&T coach, Colombian Francisco Maturana is not in favour of the using Queen’s Park Oval. Since June the T&TFF and the Minsitry of Sport and Youth Affairs have been at odds over the rental agreement for the use of the stadiums, which reached it boiling point with the England match on June 1.

An agreement was eventually struck between both parties for the “Soca Warriors” and England match to be played at the venue, but since then the national team has played all of its matches at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya where seating capacity and parking remains a limited.