Stakeholders on World Cup draw: No easy game for Soca Warriors

THE road to the 2026 Fifa World Cup is clear for the Soca Warriors.
Trinidad and Tobago got arguably a favourable draw in the final round of the qualifiers on June 12, with three other Caribbean teams standing in their way of a second World Cup appearance.
However, two members of the 2006 World Cup contingent are warning that at this stage of the campaign, no team can be taken lightly.
TT were drawn in Group B alongside Jamaica, Curacao and Bermuda, avoiding all the Central American teams. TT will play each team in their group twice between September and November.
Panama, El Salvador, Guatemala and Suriname will feature in Group A and Costa Rica, Honduras, Haiti and Nicaragua will battle in Group C.
The team that finishes first in each of the three groups will qualify directly to the World Cup. The top two second-placed teams will have another chance to advance to the World Cup when they play in the intercontinental playoffs.
USA, Mexico and Canada have qualified already as host nations.
TT are trying to qualify for their second World Cup after making their debut at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, captained by Dwight Yorke.
Yorke is now the coach of the Soca Warriors.
Anthony Wolfe, a member of the TT 2006 World Cup squad, said every match is a crucial contest for the national team.
"We have to take it one game at a time. Every single game we are playing is a final for us – six games we have, six finals."
Jamaica (63rd), are the highest ranked team in the group, followed by Curacao (90th), TT (100th) and Bermuda (168th). Jamaica are favourites to advance, but Wolfe said the other teams cannot be overlooked.
"I think the group is an open group. I think no team should be underestimated; football is played on the day. Everybody focusing on Jamaica, but I think Curacao is also one of the tough opponents for us as well."
The former player said the national team must grab this opportunity.

"Somebody has to take the bull by the horn and lead, put the younger ones down and talk to them. Just like Dwight did with us and let us know that this is a one-time opportunity. It have teams that qualify for one World Cup and it takes them 20, 30 years to qualify again."
He is also urging the players to leave all egos aside.
"The team needs to come together, play as one, respect each other (and) go and get the job done. Don't have any egos...You play or you don't play, you are a team player. Football is a team game...this is not tennis. Whether you play or not, I think you still play a major part because your support could help the team."
Wolfe encouraged the players to leave it all on the pitch. "If we give it our all and we don't (qualify), well then God did not have it in our plans, but at least we gave our best."
He wants the Soca Warriors to sharpen up on defence as he believes TT are conceding too many goals.
In an interview with Newsday on June 13, TT's 2006 World Cup team manager Bruce Aanensen said, "We are going to have to play well to beat any of the teams in the groups."
Having said that, Aanensen thinks TT are in with an excellent chance.
"I think we ought to be able, with the exception of Jamaica in Jamaica, if we play well, to beat those other teams."
Curacao have improved considerably recently. On June 10, they defeated Haiti 5-1 in a World Cup qualifier in the last round.
Many of the Curacao players were born in the Netherlands and play professionally at clubs in Europe. Some of Curacao's players represented Netherlands at junior level, before making the switch to Curacao.
"They suddenly got strong. I don't know if they brought in people from Holland. What is their story? If you could beat Haiti 5-1...We need to be a little wary of them."
Aanensen said TT must capitalise on their home matches.
"The three home games, we've got to win at least two of them, if not all three. We have to use our home advantage which sometimes we don't do very well, but I think we have a better than 50 per cent chance of getting out of that group."
Aanensen said the Concacaf Gold Cup tournament, which kicks off on June 14, will help Yorke and his staff settle on his core 15 players that will be play most of the minutes in the qualifiers.
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"Stakeholders on World Cup draw: No easy game for Soca Warriors"