- NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 21/Aug 07:44

Army without Leacock, Sam for Caribbean Cup opener

Reigning TT Premier Football League (TTPFL) champs Defence Force will be without the services of strikers Isaiah "Bongo" Leacock and Brent Sam when they begin their 2025 Concacaf Caribbean Cup campaign against Haitian club Juventus de Cayes at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, on August 21. Kickoff for the crucial group B encounter is at 8 pm. Leacock and Sam, who were heavily rotated in the number-nine role by former coach Densill Theobald during the 2024/25 TTPFL season, will be absent because of personal reasons, according to Defence Force interim coach Devorn Jorsling. The former Defence Force stalwart said Leacock will be available for selection after the opening match, while Sam has been ruled out of the competition altogether. The lanky Sam netted five goals in the league season, while Leacock and team captain Kevin Molino both scored 16 league goals. Leacock was named the TTPFL tier one's Forward of the Season, with the TT men's national team skipper Molino bagging the Player of the Season honours. Last May, Leacock sprung to life in the First Citizens Cup final as he netted a hat-trick to power Defence Force to a 3-1 victory over his former employers AC Port of Spain. Leacock's fine play on the domestic scene was rewarded on the international stage with a call-up from Trinidad and Tobago coach Dwight Yorke and he scored on his national debut against Jamaica in the Unity Cup in Brentford, England on May 27. Speaking to the media on August 20 at a pre-match press briefing, Jorsling said the 23-man squad assembled is more than capable of getting the job done while he's banking on new addition Shackiel Henry to deliver the goals up front. "Henry is a proven goal scorer at this level and an experienced campaigner. I think he can come and bolster that department," the Defence Force interim coach said. Henry scored 15 goals in the 2024/25 TTPFL season with Club Sando and even featured for AC Port of Spain in the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Club Shield – scoring twice in the latter team's 4-1 win over Arnett Gardens last month. Jorsling said there is slight pressure on the team to deliver as they were unable to get past the group phase in the 2023 edition of the Caribbean Cup, while they exited the CFU Club Shield at the round of 16 phase in 2024. "This is a totally different league to our one at home, so there's pressure," he said. "Obviously, we want to win the game. It's a massive game for TT football. It's bigger than Defence Force. In the past editions, none of our teams have come out of the group phase and we want to make that step up by getting three points at home. I expect the boys to come out and work hard and come out and get three points." Veteran defender Curtis Gonzales, 36, will be one of the players expected to step up to the plate with the recent departures of Reon Moore and Justin Garcia, who often paired Gonzales in central defence. "My role is to basically come as a mentor. I will call myself the father of the team," Gonzales said. "I'm the oldest player on the team and I'm the most experienced player pertaining to Defence Force football team. Going into the Caribbean Cup, I'm putting in plenty work so the younger guys will look up to me. I want them to be motivated by efforts." The Defence Force team also includes regulars such as Shaquille Bertrand, Jelani Felix, Kevon Goddard, Justin Sadoo and goalkeepers Christopher Biggette and Jabari St Hillaire. After facing Juventus de Cayes, Defence Force will tackle Jamaican champions Cavalier FC (September 17), Barbados' Weymouth Wales (September 25) and Dominican Republic's Cibao FC (October 1) to finish off group B play. Defence Force squad for Caribbean Cup match vs Juventus de Cayes: Goalkeepers: Christopher Biggette, Jabari St Hillaire, Isaiah Williams. Defenders: Jelani Felix, Russel Francois, Isaiah Garcia, Curtis Gonzales, Shevornhez Hamilton, Jelani Peters. Midfielders: Joshua Araujo-Wilson, Christian Bailey, Shaquille Bertrand, Jameel Cooper, Rivaldo Coryat, Kevon Goddard, Cassim Kellar, Kevin Molino, Justin Sadoo, Kaihim Thomas, Caden Trestrail. Forwards: Shackiel Henry, Elijah Seechan, Kathon St Hillaire. The post Army without Leacock, Sam for Caribbean Cup opener appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.