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Trinidad and Tobago will retain their spot in the Concacaf Nations League A if they can navigate a six-nation group with five Caribbean teams.
Today, the Soca Warriors were drawn with Jamaica, Honduras, Cuba, Nicaragua and French Guiana in Group B with Costa Rica, Guatemala, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Suriname, and Guyana in Group A.
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868
The top two nations from each group advance to the quarterfinal round, where they will meet defending champions the United States, Mexico, Canada and Panama. However, the bottom two from each group will be relegated to Nations League B.
Trinidad and Tobago were relegated from Group A in the first edition of the competition in 2019, under then coach Dennis Lawrence. But, in 2022-23, the Soca Warriors were promoted under Angus Eve—after Nicaragua were penalized for using an illegitimate player—and, last year, Eve led his troops into the League A quarterfinal stage.
In Concacaf’s mystifying group format, all nations do not face each other and Trinidad and Tobago must await another draw to see who their four matches (two home, two away) will be against.
(Copyright Daniel Prentice/ Wired868)
All eyes would be on Nicaragua, who railed at the perceived injustice when Trinidad and Tobago advanced to League A at their expense in March 2023.
The Warriors, led by captain Aubrey David, have a chance of revenge themselves with the possibility of racing regional rivals, Jamaica, in competitive action.
The “Reggae Boyz” romped to a 4-1 win in their last competitive fixture against Trinidad and Tobago at the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup.
Jamaica won 4-1.
The Warriors’ main incentive, though, would probably be to follow up on the promise of their 2023-24 season—when only goal difference separated the red, black and white from the United States and places in the Nations League semifinals as well as the 2024 Copa America tournament.
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