Q. What do you think of Jamaica's recent success in the World Cup Qualifiers?
A. I'm not surprise by Jamaica's recent success in their bid for
aWorld Cup Concacaf spot. As a team and nation they a committed to at all
cost to winning and I'm now recalling on my experience as a semi- pro player
with Port Royal in 1990. A few years before the qualifiers began the made
a decision to hire a coach from Brazil which has made a significant
in roads in there approach to the game. In addition, the Jamacian business
community like those in Portugal made major contributions to the
game and team.They will be competitive in France, and I'll be on the sideline
lending my support.
Q. Is there anything that we in Trinidad and Tobago can learn from the Jamaicans?
A. We in Trinidad have the formular as you may remember with the srtrike square in1989. We had the support of the business men and the country, and that make a major difference. Jamaica has learned from our 89 experience.
Q. How would you solve the problems we suffered in the World Cup Qualifiers last year?
A. We need a total commitment of our country, and by that I mean the business community, the schools, the government and the fans ( mothers, fathers, sons and daughters). There must be one goal, one deram, onemind-set, one people to achieve this reality.We cannot relive 1989, but there are lessons that were learned from that experience which will serve Trinidad and Tobago soccer well into the future.
Q. Scenario: Say there is a player in the English Premiership whose parents are from T&T. That automatically makes him a Trinidad and Tobago citizen and thus eligiable to play for T&T under Fifa rules. Should the TTFA draft players from outside T&T to play for the senior team?
A. TTFA has the responsibility of identify or assembling the best
possible players to represent the country.However, it is up to an individual
to decide weather or not he want to represent his country of birth or country
of citizenship. The important factor is always the player, as his choices
in life must be respected.
Q. T&T was granted the Under 17 World Championship in 2001, how
do you think that it will help T&T football?
A. I'm gald to see that Trinidad and Tobago will be the host of
the under17 World Cup in2001. Portugal recently hosted the Under 17 tournment
and I was impress with the standard of play and the administration off
the field. My club Boavista played a role in the administrative aspect
of
things. Hosting the tournment would help to motivate those who play
the game at all levels as was recently my personnal experience and my mates
at Boavista. In the end, if soccer in Trinidad and Tobago improve and we
are competitive at all levels, then we would have made the gains we are
striving to achieve.