Wired868 Wired868 for smart sport news and opinion
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.
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868
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.
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868
“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.
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868
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.
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868
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);
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868
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);
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868
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).
“[…] A new coach may bring fresh ideas, different tactics, and renewed motivation—but if the underlying problems remain, how much Read more
The Trinidad and Tobago Men’s National Senior Team will get another opportunity to win their first game of 2026, when Read more
Trinidad and Tobago Men’s National Senior Team head coach Derek King seemed decidedly upbeat, as he faced the media after Read more
Trinidad and Tobago will return to the second tier of the Concacaf Nations League for the first time since 2022, Read more
“[…] Never mind the ‘media specialists’, apologists and enablers (paid and unpaid by TTFA) who seek to convince us otherwise. Read more
Trinidad and Tobago Men’s National Senior Team head coach Derek King confirmed that the Soca Warriors will be without full Read more
