Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 19/Nov 05:22

Warner: Trinidad and Tobago saved from World Cup shame

FORMER FIFA vice-president Dr Jack Warner believes Trinidad and Tobago’s senior men’s football team did not deserve to reach the 2026 World Cup based on their performances during the qualifying round. Speaking to Newsday after receiving his doctorate from the University of Trinidad and Tobago on November 18, Warner said the team and the country should be thankful “that we have been saved from further embarrassment at the highest level.” “If a team can only beat Bermuda in a group of four and can’t beat Jamaica and Curaçao, they don’t deserve to be in a World Cup. What would we do when you face Mexico and France?” Warner said he had hoped the team would have made it to football’s biggest stage but was not surprised they fell short. He added that it was now up to the squad to rebuild from the disappointment. Warner, who has been credited as the driving force behind TT’s historic 2006 World Cup qualification, said he remains willing to assist. “For 15 years they never asked me (to help) and I am waiting. Whenever they ask me, I am here. I have no bitterness. If ever they ask me, I am willing to help,” he said. TT finished third in Group B with six points. The team drew twice with Curaçao, lost away to Jamaica and drew the home fixture. Their only win was a 3–0 victory over Bermuda on October 10. TT will close off their World Cup campaign at home against Bermuda on November 18. Simultaneously, Jamaica and Curaçao will face off for the group’s automatic World Cup spot. Jamaica must win, while Curaçao only need a draw to make history as the smallest nation by population and size ever to qualify for a World Cup. TT head coach Dwight Yorke has accepted responsibility for the failed campaign. Speaking at a media conference on November 17 ahead of the Bermuda-TT match, Yorke said: “In hindsight, I am sure there are things in there somewhere you could have done differently. I always look at myself first rather than pointing the fingers at anyone else. “I take full responsibility for the team, for how we play, how we go about (matches), what we try to do, our style of play. I am the one who makes those final decisions. I always tend to look at myself first.” Despite the result, Yorke said he was satisfied with the effort given by the players. The post Warner: Trinidad and Tobago saved from World Cup shame appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.