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Former Soca Warriors captain Kenwyne Jones has been appointed head coach of the Trinidad and Tobago Women’s National Senior Team, with a nine-month contract that provides for a one-year renewal based on undisclosed KPIs.
Jones, who is with the Women Soca Warriors in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic at present, has a UEFA ‘A’ license, although the national post represents his first job as a head coach.
(via TTFA Media)
Last month, the 37-year-old former England Premier League forward was named interim head coach—following the sudden departures of former head coach James Thomas and another interim, Constantin Konstin—and steered the team to two drawn matches against Panama at the Ato Boldon Stadium.
It was apparently enough for the Fifa-appointed normalisation committee to hand Jones the job full time. A release from the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA), which is run by the normalisation committee at present, credited Jones for ‘the positive atmosphere that he has created within the team, and the improved dynamic between the players and technical staff’.
“Kenwyne has done a really good job with the team during his short stint, as was demonstrated on the field against Panama,” normalisation committee chairman Robert Hadad told the TTFA Media. “We had a meeting with him and he was excited with the prospect of continuing his work with the players. I believe the players are equally excited.
“We have agreed on clear performance targets, which we all hope will be achieved.”
It is the second time that the normalisation committee has promoted a local interim head coach, after Angus Eve snared the position of Men’s National Senior Team head coach in September—following a three-month interim period.
There was no tendering process for the Men’s coaching position and it appears that the TTFA did not invite applications for the vacant Women’s job either.
Unified Football Coaches of Trinidad and Tobago (UFCTT) interim president Jefferson George said, at the request of the normalisation committee, he recommended former Strike Squad forward Marlon Morris and Tobago Football Association (TFA) vice-president Desmond Alfred to sit on an ad-hoc technical advisory panel.
However, George did not see any requests from the TTFA for applications for the vacant role and is uncertain about the process used to select Jones. Regardless, he wished the 2006 World Cup player well.
(Courtesy Nicholas Bhajan/Wired868)
“Based on what he contributed to Trinidad and Tobago as a player, we acknowledge and respect that and he has now climbed into the role of coach,” George told Wired868. “As the coaching association, we support him and wish him all the best in his role as head coach of the women’s national senior team going forward.”
Trinidad and Tobago begin their 2022 Concacaf W Championship qualifying series on 17 February with a clash against Nicaragua. They then tackle Dominica (20 February), the Turks and Caicos (9 April), and Guyana (12 April) respectively, with the top placed team advancing to the July competition.
The 2022 W Championship will decide Concacaf’s representatives at the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup, co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, and the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
“I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to continue to work with the staff and players,” Jones told the TTFA Media, “proud to continue serving my country, and I look forward to helping push the women’s game forward.”
(via TTFA Media)
Jones leads the Women Warriors into friendly action against the Dominican Republic this evening and on 30 November.
Fans can click HERE to view Trinidad and Tobago’s friendly outing against the Dominican Republic.
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Lasana Liburd is the managing director and chief editor at Wired868.com and a journalist with over 20 years experience at several Trinidad and Tobago and international publications including Play the Game, World Soccer, UK Guardian and the Trinidad Express.
Dear Coach,
One of your players, Liana Hinds, is played in an ineffective position when she is placed at the center-back position. Her most effective position is at right-back or right-midfield.
There she is able to use her speed and strength to take the ball all the way down the field. Encourage her to take the ball into the box.
Congrats to Kenwyne. Every time he speaks he makes sober, rational and deliberate statements. Probably the best decision made by the irrationalization committee.
p.s. Kenwyne, play Liana Hinds in her most effective position at right-back.