Soca Warriors book March friendly away to Wales on Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground


The Trinidad and Tobago National Senior Team have booked their first international date of 2019—and it is away to Wales at the Racecourse Ground on 20 March.

Wales, who are coached by former Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs, are ranked 19th in the world by FIFA and boast of established talent like Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey, Bournemouth playmaker David Brooks, Stoke City defender Ashley Williams and, last but not least, Real Madrid sensation Gareth Bale.

Photo: Wales star Gareth Bale celebrates during international action.

Wales play Slovakia in a Euro 2020 qualifier at Cardiff on 24 March and will use the Soca Warriors outing, four days earlier, as a warm-up for their competitive fixture.

The Racecourse Ground is the home venue for England National League outfit, Wrexham AFC, who have a special bond with the two island republic. Soca Warriors head coach Dennis Lawrence represented Wrexham AFC between 2001 and 2006 and once captained the team while Lawrence and fellow 2006 World Cup player Carlos Edwards are both Hall of Fame inductees at the Wales-based club.

Wrexham also once employed former Trinidad and Tobago internationals Hector Sam and Silvio Spann. And the club is rumoured to be interested in making Lawrence their new manager, although talk has gone quiet on the matter over the past week with the coach apparently more interested in remaining in Trinidad.

Lawrence’s contract expires on 31 January 2019 and, although Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) president David John-Williams express interest in extending his tenure, there has been no formal offer from the local football body. And, a week since Wrexham’s interest in Lawrence was first reported, John-Williams is yet to call a board meeting to begin the process of a contract renewal.

Lawrence suggested to the TTFA Media that he looks forward to heading to the Racecourse as Trinidad and Tobago head coach next March.

Photo: Trinidad and Tobago head coach Dennis Lawrence (centre) makes a point to midfielder Hashim Arcia (left) during international friendly action at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain on 24 August 2017.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/CA-images/Wired868)

“We are delighted to have this opportunity to face Wales in the next international window in March,” said Lawrence. “The match comes at an ideal time for us which is just over a couple months before the Concacaf Gold Cup and will obviously be a very good test for our team.

“Wales have shown themselves to be a formidable opponent with good quality players under the management of  Ryan Giggs; and I expect the return of the Wales National Team to the Racecourse Ground to be special. Both teams will be aiming to put on a competitive contest.”

Trinidad and Tobago and Wales faced each other once before with the European nation running out 2-1 winners in a friendly international at Graz, Austria in 2006. Lawrence played for the Warriors then while the then 16-year-old Bale—who came off the bench to become Wales’ youngest ever senior international player—set up the decisive goal for Robbie Earnshaw.

“I’m delighted that we’re able to play at the Racecourse for the first time in 10 years,” said Giggs. “We thoroughly enjoyed taking the team there for an open training session in May. The support was incredible and further fuelled our ambition to host a match at the historic ground.

“Trinidad and Tobago will prove an interesting test for us and will be great preparation ahead of the Euro 2020 qualifying campaign.”

Photo: Trinidad and Tobago midfielder Kevon Goddard (centre) looks to peel away from Panama midfielder Omar Browne during friendly international action at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva on 17 April 208.
(Copyright Chevaughn Christopher/Wired868)

The Warriors played only six times in 2018, which was their lowest number of internationals in a calendar year since 1993.

Trinidad and Tobago have not played on home soil since a 1-0 loss to Panama at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva on 17 April 2018.

More from Wired868
Sealy gets debut double, as T&T trounce St Kitts and Nevis 6-2 before sell-out crowd

A double from debutante Dante Sealy, a goal on return from Levi Garcia and another from veteran Kevin Molino, and Read more

“This is the new era!” Yorke adds MLS winger, Sealy to 26-man squad, praises Molino’s impact

Twenty-two-year-old CF Montreal flanker Dante Sealy is set to make his senior international debut for Trinidad and Tobago against Saint Read more

Dear Editor: T&T owes it to our talented youth to rebuild our football programme

“[…] As coach Dwight Yorke noted following the Unity Cup, many of our local-based players are not yet ready for Read more

Yorke: ‘We have a new selection of players coming; it will be a shock to the system!’

Trinidad and Tobago Men’s National Senior Team football coach Dwight Yorke assured supporters that the Soca Warriors will be ready Read more

Ayew-inspired Ghana thump T&T 4-0, as Yorke’s troops bow out of Unity Cup

The Trinidad and Tobago Men’s National Senior team were humbled in London today, as they bowed out of the Unity Read more

Molino and ‘Bongo’ net; but Jamaica hold off T&T 3-2 in Unity Cup

The Trinidad and Tobago Men’s National Senior Team will play for third place in the Unity Cup invitational tournament on Read more

Check Also

Sealy gets debut double, as T&T trounce St Kitts and Nevis 6-2 before sell-out crowd

A double from debutante Dante Sealy, a goal on return from Levi Garcia and another …

29 comments

  1. Hmmm wales go play ah strong team wit ben woodburn in the side but let’s see if the warriors cud match dem

  2. Sheldon Bateau challenges his teammates to be ready for the challenge when Trinidad and Tobago face Wales

  3. Can I ask a really stupid question? It just dawned on me who they’re playing and where. Do you think this game was offered through negotiations because of Dennis suddenly not being offered the job? Lasana?

  4. play a second game plz…plz..plz…find 11 Welshmen in a pub and find a ground..ah doh care…plz

  5. Yeah.against our neighbors Venezuela Them really good yes

  6. Quality opposition following up on Iran. Lets hope for quality in team selection. Also the window is 12 days, can we get a 2nd match?

  7. I believe that Bale played his first international against Trinidad.

  8. Lovely a competitive friendly in prepping for the Gold Cup

  9. Already a big improvement from 2018

    • UAE and Iran were good games too. In fact, I won’t say any of the games were bad per se. They just need more games. And the coach should know his entire fixture beforehand so he can decide which players he wants to expose when and against what opposition.
      Take 19 year Isaiah Lee and Judah Garcia who might have something but may not be ready for Wales. If he knows they are playing El Salvador and Peru in another window, he could leave them for that.
      But if he doesn’t know, he might want to take them just to keep them involved.
      That’s what planning can do for you.

    • Well hoping going forward the Coach should allow every player to get a play especially the foreign base goalkeeper I mean to say it is only a friendly win or loose ,well in this case will always be loosing until our Soca Worries and the corrupted TTFA continues to get their act together Them really good yes

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.