Levi, Raymond miss Bahamas clash; Eve hopes to build on 2nd half against Grenada

Trinidad and Tobago will be without star forward Levi Garcia and left back Andre Raymond when they tackle The Bahamas tomorrow in their second 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifying fixture.

The game kicks off at 5.30pm at Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis, despite being listed as a home match for the Bahamas.

Soca Warriors head coach Angus Eve confirmed today that Garcia and Raymond failed to recover from knocks picked up on Wednesday, during their opening 2-2 draw with Grenada at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain.

Midfielder Michel Poon-Angeron, who is set to swap AC Port of Spain for El Salvador top flight club, CD Fuerte San Francisco, and Montego Bay United defender Josiah Trimmingham replace the outgoing players.

It is not a like-for-like change. USA-based defender Triston Hodge is now the team’s only genuine left back, although Eve is fairly well stocked with attacking players—with six remaining in his ranks.

Eve said the injuries justified his decision to select 25 players for the two-match international window.

“It is the same reason we have 25 players and not 23—just in case something like this happens, the guys would already be in the camp training with the team,” he said. “So that was succession planning that we have done and it was easier for them to transition into the squad.”

Eve already led Trinidad and Tobago into battle against the Bahamas twice and secured a 1-0 and 3-0 win respectively in the 2023 Concacaf Nations League. He hopes that his players do the business again against the minnows, as they look to shake off a subpar showing against Grenada.

“The good thing about football is you always have another game when you don’t do as well as you think you should have done the game before,” said Eve.

The Warriors trailed Grenada by two goals, half hour into the contest in Port of Spain. However, the host nation halved the deficit before the interval and got the only item of the second half.

Eve suggested that their second half showing is a good starting point for tomorrow’s game.

“It could have been worse, but we fought back and the second half was a good building block coming into this game,” said the Warriors coach. “The way we played in the second half—the energy, the passion, the purpose—was much better and I think we deserved coming back, and probably even a little bit more.”

In Wednesday’s post-match media briefing, Eve said that Trinidad and Tobago’s are not suited to playing offensive football on the front foot. So the Warriors are likely to be more conservative in Basseterre.

And Eve hopes they take the chances that come their way.

“We hope to be a little more clinical in this game here,” he said.

(Trinidad and Tobago squad)

Goalkeepers: Denzil Smith (Club Sando), Aaron Enill (Prison FC), Christopher Biggette (Defence Force);

Defenders: Aubrey David (CS Cartagines—Costa Rica), Alvin Jones (Miscellaneous Police FC), Justin Garcia (Defence Force), Josiah Trimmingham (Montego Bay Utd—Jamaica), Shannon Gomez (San Antonio FC—USA), Triston Hodge (Hartford Athletic—USA);

Midfielders: Michel Poon-Angeron, Duane Muckette (both AC Port of Spain), Andre Rampersad (HFX Wanderers—Canada), Noah Powder (Northern Colorado Hailstorm—USA), Dantaye Gilbert (Jong PSV—Netherlands), Steffen Yeates (Pacific FC—Canada), Daniel Phillips (St Johnstone FC—Scotland), Ajani Fortune (Atlanta United—USA);

Attackers: Nathaniel James (Mount Pleasant FC—Jamaica), Real Gill (Northern Colorado Hailstorm—USA), Reon Moore (Pacific FC—Canada), Malcolm Shaw (Cavalry FC—Canada), Kevon Woodley (Morvant Caledonia Utd), Ryan Telfer (HFX Wanderers—Canada).

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