Wired868 Wired868 for smart sport news and opinion
Trinidad and Tobago return to international football competition on 16 August 2026 in the CFU Boys U14 Challenge Series, which will be staged in the Dominican Republic.
But, in the first competitive event for the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) since the 2026 World Cup, their young squad would be hard-pressed to do themselves justice.
The team left Piarco in two groups on Sunday, two days before their opening game, while the final player to arrive, 15-year-old Kyen Anderson, travelled on his own and got there after the opening game.
The 2026 T&T Boys U-14 team are not off to a great start either.
Photo: TTFA Media.
Wired868 can confirm that the member associations of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) were officially informed of the U14 Challenge Series in November 2025, and asked to confirm participation by January 2026.
As a result, several other CFU teams started preparing right after Christmas, following their respective schools’ football leagues.
The Trinidad and Tobago Boys National Under-14 Team held their first session, under coach Randolph Boyce, on Thursday 16 July—just four and a half weeks before their opening game against Puerto Rico in Punta Cuna.
Trinidad and Tobago lost 1-0.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
It might be worth repeating.
The TTFA, headed by president Kieron Edwards and general secretary Kareem Paul, was informed of the August 2026 CFU Boys U14 Challenge Series in November 2025.
The local body confirmed interest in January 2026 and were confirmed as participants, two months later. The groups were revealed in May 2026, by which time the TTFA was obliged to inform the CFU of its team manager and head coach.
Yet, remarkably, the Edwards-led body only started screening coaches in July, while their first training session was held last week.
Boyce will be supported by team manager Adrian Romain for next week’s competition. Both men held identical portfolios with the Trinidad and Tobago Men’s National Under-17 Team, which finished below Barbados in the Concacaf Under-17 Qualifying Series earlier this year.
The host team lost 2-1.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
If the TTFA was mandated to inform the CFU of its head coach in May, why was the football body interviewing prospective coaches in July?
Had the TTFA missed the deadline by two months? Or did Edwards select his coach in May, before authorising the shambolic screening of potential candidates in early July?
Wired868 asked Edwards and acting technical director Devin Elcock why the local football body got off to such a late start in preparing a team to compete in the CFU Challenge Series.
Although Edwards travelled regularly with the men’s team, the women players said he has never met them.
(via TTFA Media.)
Both men were also asked to confirm when the TTFA informed the regional governing body of its choice for head coach and manager.
Edwards and Elcock promised to respond to the queries but neither had done so, up to the time of publication. The technical director said he was in a meeting and promised to send a response later.
Wired868 understands that Police FC youth coach Garfield Ambrose, Pro Series and Fatima College Under-14 coach Damien Frederick and former Women’s National Senior Team standout and Anguilla Women’s coach Ahkeela Mollon were among the interviewees.
An ad hoc panel, which included acting technical director Devin Elcock, interviewed coaches—although it is uncertain who created the shortlist of coaches, or made the final selection.
Elcock has since risen to the position of TTFA acting technical director.
Photo: TTFA Media.
Wired868 can confirm that the process was not managed by the TTFA technical committee.
Boyce, who is also St Benedict’s College head coach, is in an unusual position within local football circles.
He is a former head coach of Central FC—which was part-run by Edwards—and the current president of the Central Football Association, which has two votes at the TTFA general elections.
Behind Edwards are USA president Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump.
It means that Boyce is Edwards’ former employee at club level and current coach at international level, yet he is simultaneously among the stakeholders who will decide if the local football president keeps his job in 2028.
As always, it is the players who stand to lose the most—as they head into their first international competition, sorely underprepared.
Boyce has a month to select his squad, get players fit, and impart his tactical philosophy. He started last week with a list of players from the High Performance programme in 2025.
Boys National U-15 coach Randolph Boyce opted against nationwide screening for his team, presumably due to his short preparation time.
Photo: TTFA Media.
The High Performance programme, which has now been dormant for roughly 12 months, aims to bring just over 30 of the most talented players in each of two age groups—and both sexes—under the direct supervision of TTFA-selected coaches for between six to 10 months per year.
World Cup 2026 midfielder and ex-Defence Force FC head coach Densill Theobald served as head coach for the Boys HP programme since 2022. Earlier this month, Theobald was unveiled as the new head coach for Jamaica Premier League top flight team, Racing United FC.
Despite the High Performance programme being dormant, Wired868 understands that new players were not given an opportunity to screen for national selection.
With the High Performance programme dormant for roughly a year, Theobald has migrated to Jamaica for a coaching opportunity.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
The TTFA’s late confirmation of a coaching staff also meant Boyce and his team did not have an opportunity to scout during the recent TTFA-run National Youth League (NYL).
There are 28 teams in the CFU Challenge Series, with 12 in Tier I and 14 in Tier II. Trinidad and Tobago are grouped with Haiti, French Guiana and Puerto Rico, with the group winners and best second-place finisher expected to advance to the semifinal round.
The young Soca Warriors have a tall order ahead.
|
Wired868 has provided readers with solid, independent journalism since 2012. If you appreciate our work, please contribute to our efforts. Support Independent Journalism |
The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) today announced a surprise international friendly for its Men’s National Senior Team with Read more
“[…] I fully understand and respect the rules concerning team sheets. However, rules must also be applied with fairness, common Read more
Senator David Nakhid, parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs, described the non-payment of match fees for Read more
Trinidad and Tobago Men’s National Senior Team head coach Derek King will travel to Russia without squad captain Levi Garcia Read more
“[…] This matter stems from the period during which Mr Brent Sancho served as owner/chairman of the Central FC club, Read more
On 17 April 2026, the day of their must-win Brazil 2027 World Cup qualifier against El Salvador at the Hasely Read more
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.
