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Trinidad and Tobago can face estranged neighbours Venezuela in a football battle this March, after the South American nation was drawn with the Soca Warriors for the upcoming Fifa Series.
Venezuela, ranked 50th in the world by Fifa, replace Iceland in a four-nation group that includes Gabon and hosts Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan, Gabon and Trinidad and Tobago are ranked 52nd, 86th and 97th in the world respectively.
The fixtures have not yet been revealed, although Trinidad and Tobago will play against two of the participating nations—rather than all three—between 23-31 March.
The Fifa Series is an initiative by the global governing body to bring together nations from different confederations, who would not normally face each other on the field of play.
Most, but not all, of the involved teams did not qualify for the 2026 World Cup and, certainly, none of the bigger football nations are competing in this edition. Australia, New Zealand, Curaçao and Uzbekistan (who will all play in this year’s World Cup) will compete, though, along with Cameroon, Bulgaria and Chile.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
Despite the close proximity of the two nations, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela have rarely met on the football field at men’s senior international level—with just six exhibition matches in 55 years.
The two-island republic have not won a single match, with three draws and as many defeats. The last meeting between the two nations came on 14 October 2019 when Venezuela defeated then head coach Dennis Lawrence’s outfit 2-0 in Caracas.
Relations between the two nations have been strained over the past decade, as an unprecedented wave of migration from Venezuela created an awkward political situation for Trinidad and Tobago.
Venezuela won 4-0.
Photo: Allan V Crane/ CA-Images/ Wired868.
That unease grew exponentially over the past six months, as Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s enthusiastic support for United States president Donald Trump’s violent exchanges with the Latin American state received a frosty response from Caracas.
Both football associations would presumably hope for a sporting affair come March, though.
At present, Gabon are in a state of flux following their group stage elimination from the 2026 African Cup of Nations.
Photo: BBC.
Gabon sport minister Simplice-Desire Mamboula responded by sacking head coach Thierry Mouyouma and suspending the entire team, including star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and captain Bruno Ecuele Manga.
However, Gabon lifted the sanctions against the players last week—after threats from Fifa regarding government interference. It is left to be seen whether they turn up with a full strength team to the Fifa Series.
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