Guyana’s Golden Jaguars and the Soca Warriors, Trinidad and Tobago national team will square off in a friendly football international this evening at the Haseley Crawford Stadium in Port-of-Spain as both teams prepare for important engagements.
National coach Wayne “Wiggy” Dover and seven players were due to depart Guyana this morning for the twin island republic to join other members of the Golden Jaguars who play professionally there.
General Secretary of the Guyana Football Federation Noel Adonis told Stabroek Sport yesterday that the locally-based players were representing their clubs in various competitions in Guyana before assembling for the next leg of the Digicel Caribbean Cup in November.
The local based players set to travel include Anthony “Awo” Abrams, Dwight Peters, Shawn Bishop, Kelvin McKenzie, Ronson Williams, Devon Millington and Glenorvan Edmonds.
Alpha United player Leon Grumble, who has been in top form in the Alpha United Carifesta tournament, has been drafted into the national squad, but it is unclear whether he will travel with the other team members.
They will join the other players in the twin island republic including national captain Charles “Lilly” Pollard, Howard Lowe, Collie Hercules, Walter Moore, Cary Harris and Nigel Codrington.
Reports state that the game was arranged by the Trinidadians and will serve as a crucial warm up for them in preparation for their clash with Guatamala on Saturday in the Group “A” of the CONCACAF 2010 World Cup qualifying semi-finals in Port-of Spain.
The Trinidadians are grouped with the United States, Cuba and Guatemala as 12 teams remain and are seeking to advance to the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa.
The Soca Warriors who competed in the last World Cup finals two years ago in Germany have already beaten Cuba in their first leg tie recently.
The Golden Jaguars on the other hand are preparing for the second stage of the Digicel Caribbean Cup slated for November in the twin island republic.
The Jaguars advanced following their success against Dominica and Suriname in their first round competition plated recently at the National Stadium at Providence.
The Guyanese had beaten Dominica 3-1 and drew with Suriname 1-1 to advance on a better goal average edging out nemesis Suriname by the odd goal.
Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana are both expected to compete in same group of the Digicel Caribbean Cup in November.
The last time the two teams met, the Soca Warriors were victorious 2-1 in another friendly two months ago in Port-of-Spain.
Meanwhile according to a CMC report, Trinidad & Tobago’s most celebrated footballer Dwight Yorke will lead a plethora of overseas-based players included in the Soca Warriors line up for today’s friendly international.
It will be the first appearance for the Sunderland midfielder on the national team since he came on as a substitute in the friendly international against England in May to mark the centennial celebrations of the T&T Football Federation.
The 36-year old Yorke is coming off an injury which has kept him out of the Sunderland team in the fledgling stages of the new English Premiership season. The injury also ruled him out of the first World Cup qualifier away in Cuba which the Soca Warriors won 3-1 two weeks ago.
Swansea City duo Dennis Lawrence and Jason Scotland, Sunderland midfielder Carlos Edwards, Hungary-based goalkeeper Jan Michael Williams, United States-based defenders Avery John and Julius James will all be in the squad for the clash against the Guyanese team being coached by Jamal Shabaaz.
Defence Force defender, Aklie Edwards will be making a return, having completed a four-match suspension for a red card offence in an Olympic qualifier against Cuba earlier this year.
Among the other home-based pros include midfielder Keon Daniel, the double scorer against Cuba, as well as Densill Theobald, Cornell Glen, Cyd Gray, Anthony Wolfe, Andre Toussaint, Clyde Leon and goalkeeper Marvin Phillips among the others.
Coach Francisco Maturana will have almost his full squad available with the exception of injured Aurtis Whitley and Coventry City’s Christopher Birchall.
Trinidad’s national Under-20 team, preparing for the Under-20 World Cup in Egypt in February next year, will also be in action today when they come up against El Salvador Under-20s in the second match of the double-header, from 7.30 pm.
T&T will be hosting the CONCACAF finals for the Under-20 World Cup in January.
The local based contingent is likely to return home tomorrow.